The Midnight Hunt (A Mash-up)
by Lone-wolf916
Summary: This is the Book Midnight Hunt with a spashley remix. It includes romance, betrayal, action, and werewolves.
1. Chapter 1

Okay so I'm very new to the whole posting stories online and I am really nervous about this because I don't know if you guys will like it or not but what the hell I'm going for it. So awhile ago I read a book called "The Midnight Hunt" by L.L. Raand and whilst reading it I kept thinking about how awesome this would be if someone did a spashley fanfic about it sooo here it is lol. BTW I also Incorporated other lesbian couples and other characters from multiple other shows since their are so many people in the book and not enough SON characters to match. Please someone out there review I know this is a slow start but Spencer will be introduced in the next chapter if you like this one I will post it tomorrow. Well thanx for listening to my rant haha.

PS. If you guys have never heard or read this book I highly recommend the series, I'm addicted to it now :)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

Ashley hungered to free her wolf. After three days in the city, encased in a steel-and-glass building fifteen hours at a time with nothing but concrete under her feet at night, she needed to fill her lungs with the scent of warm earth, sweet pine, and rich, verdant life. She needed to run with her wolves and lead them on a kill. The insistent pressure between her thighs and the shimmer of pheromones coating her skin reminded her of another critical need, one not so readily satisfied. She'd gone too long without sexual release, but she couldn't risk even a rough-and-ready tangle with a willing female when her wolf seemed insistent on claiming a mate. That she would never do.

Never long on patience, she was edgy and amped on adrenaline and hormones, Even knowing she could be in her King High Mountain compound in thirty minutes didn't curb her temper while she sat at a desk in the California State Capitol Annex building listening to a politician patronize her. But she needed to do the job that had fallen to her when she had ascended to Alpha shortly after the Praetern species had stepped out of the shadows for the first time in millennia. As head of the Praetern Coalition representing the interests of the five Praetern species – Weres, Vampires, Mages, Fae, and Psi – she had been charged with convincing the senior senator from California to push PR-15, the new preternatural protection bill, through his committee.

"We'd like to bring the bill to a vote this session, Senator," Ashley said in to the phone, careful not to allow her frustration to bleed into her voice. She spun around to face the view of the Leland Stanford Mansion State Historic Park three blocks away. A breeze through the open windows of the second floor office carried a teasing hint of the river on a raft of summer heat, reminding her that imprisonment was only temporary. "The bill has been tabled for the past six months and the Coalition members are asking why."

"We all want the same thing, Councilor Davies," Senator Sam Healy said "but we have to remember, this is all very new for the human populace. We have to give the voters a chance to get used to the idea."

The senator's patrician tone grated, and Ashley growled softly, her right hand tightening on the leather arm of her desk chair. The wood creaked, protesting the crushing pressure, and she consciously relaxed her fingers. No one know better than she that for some humans, there would never be never be enough time to accept those who were _other _as equals. The nonhuman races had hidden their preternatural essence for centuries in order to survive in a world where they were greatly outnumbered. Eventually global culture expanded until isolation was impossible, and the praetern learned to hide in the light, forming uneasy coalitions while building a formidable economic power base. Ashley's father had finally convinced the Praetern leaders to make their presence known to the world, arguing that the benefits of visibility outweighed the dangers-their corporations could compete openly in international markets, their scientists and doctors would have access to greater research opportunities, those in politics who now had to work behind the scenes could actively advocate for their rights. And most importantly, they could demand protection under the law for further generations.

Shortly after Raife Davies had spearheaded the Exodus, he had died, leaving Ashley to assume the mantle of leadership. She had been twenty-six years old a year out of college. Her father had been her Alpha, her mentor, her friend, and her greatest champion. She'd had no time to mourn because the Pack needed a leader, especially in the midst of the chaos the Exodus had incited. His absence remained an agonizing void in her heart.

"Over a year now, Senator-and several million dollars in campaign donations. That's a long time to wait for basic protection from those who would destroy us for simply being different." Ashley couldn't help but think of her father's death and how little progress she'd made in achieving security for those whom she had been born to protect and defend. Anguish and fury frayed the last remnants of her temper and a low rumble resonated from deep beneath her breast. Her skin tingled with the ripple of pelt about to erupt and her claws sliced through her fingertips. Her wolf simmered so lose to the surface that her chocolate brown eyes, glinting back at her from her reflection in the window glass, sparked with wolf-gold. Her dusty brown hair took on the black glint of her pelt. Along the impending shift came an exhilarating surge of power and raw sensuality.

The door behind her opened and a husky alto voice inquired, "Alpha?"

Ashley swiveled to face Bo Dennis, her second and imperator- the head of Pack security. One of Ashley's _centuri_, her personal guards, Bo was also her best friend – they'd grown up together, tussled and played dominance games as adolescents, sparred together as adults. Tonight Bo wore her usual uniform – a formfitting black T-shirt, cargo pants, and laced-up military boots. Her compact muscular form looked hard and battle worthy, despite the soft swell of her full breasts and luscious fall of think auburn curls that touched the top of her shoulder blades. Bo had sensed the rise of Ashley's wolf, stirring Bo's instinctive need to guard her Alpha against any distress. Ashley didn't find Bo's sudden appearance in the office an intrusion on her privacy. Pack members had very few physical or emotional boundaries. In fact, Ashley hated having the century stand between her and the rest of the Pack, forcing her into even more isolation than her status as Alpha demanded. But since her father's death, the Pack would have it no other way. She was too important to them not to be under constant guard.

"I'm fine," she _sotto_-voiced, too low for Healy, who continued to try to placate her with platitudes, t her. Bo, though, could hear her Healy, and after one last searching look, backed out of the room and closed the door. Ashley reluctantly brought her wolf to heel, promising her freedom soon. Breaking in on Healy's monologue, she said, "Some of the coalition leaders are beginning to question if your friends in Washington are really friends at all."

"Now now, Councilor," Healy said almost jovially, "I'm sure you can explain things to the Coalition and your own…uh…followers." "Pack. My Pack," Ashley said softly. She wanted to point out, not for the first time, that the King High Timberwolf Pack was not a cult or a religion or a social organization. They were a community, connected physically and psychically. She was their Alpha, their leader, but she was part of them as well. But she was too weary and her wolf was too anxious to roam for her to repeat what she had been explaining publicly for months. "The Mage and the Fae have never been as solidly behind the Exodus as the Weres. I don't think I have to remind you how strong a force those two groups are in industry and international commerce. I don't think you want to lose their support."

"Of course not. Of course not. The committee plans to convene within the month, and I assure you this matter will have priority on our agenda."

Ashley could tell she'd gotten as far as she was going to get with him that night. Human politics were fueled by money, and until the money train carrying funds from the Praetern Coalition to Capitol Hill ground to a halt, the laws to protect them would be slow in coming. Hopefully, once humans began to appreciate that Praeterns had lived and worked among them for centuries, and not only performed many essential functions within society, but were their friends and neighbors and, sometimes, even relatives, popular opinion would swing in their direction.

"I look forward to hearing from you soon, Senator," Ashley lied, and put down the phone. Almost ten thirty. Traffic on the Northway would be light this time of night. She couldn't wait to shed her pale gray linen shirt and tailored black trousers, a necessary concession to her high-profile persona as the head of U.S. Were Affairs. If she and her centuri left now, they'd be home before full moonrise. Running under the moon was her favorite time to hunt—the forest took on a primeval glow and the very air seemed to glitter with moon dust. She preferred to run in moonlight whenever she could, even though most Weres had evolved to the point they no longer needed the pull of the moon to shift. She and her Pack could shift at any time, although she alone could shift instantaneously. Even her most dominant centuri needed a minute or more to accomplish the change. Her singular ability to call her wolf at any time, to shift partially or totally at will, was one of her greatest joys and helped balance the price she paid in loneliness for being the Alpha.

"Bo," she said quietly as she packed her briefcase. The door opened and her second slipped inside. Bo's forest green eyes took in the unfinished meal she had delivered earlier in the evening and narrowed in displeasure. Ashley ignored the look. "Have Clay bring the Rover around. Let's go home."

"You didn't eat."

"Do I look like I need a den mother?" Bo folded her arms beneath her breasts and spread her legs, an aggressive stance. She met Ashley's eyes for a second before looking away. "More like a mate. If you won't look after yourself—"

"Bo." Ashley gave a warning rumble. She knew many Pack members were anxious for her to take a mate, not because of pressure to produce an heir—she had decades for that—but because she would have more protection. The Pack Alpha could accept intimate care and safeguarding from a mate, whereas she couldn't from anyone else. She had her reasons for ignoring the not-so-subtle hints that Bo and those close to her had been making, especially the last six months. She did not want a mate. She had seen the desolation in her father's eyes after the death of her mother over a decade before. He had fought his desire—the innate drive—to join his mate in death until Ashley was old enough to take her mother's place, but he had been broken, an empty shell of who he had once been. Ashley had lost her mother, and in many ways, her father, all in a few moments of betrayal and blood. She would not allow herself to be that vulnerable. Ever. "We've had this discussion. I don't want to have it again."

"You've been working twenty hours a day for six months and ignoring your needs. It's not going to help the Pack if you're too weak to stand a challenge." Bo was a dominant Were at the top of the Pack hierarchy, and one of the few who would dare incite Ashley's ire in order to protect her.

Ashley cleared the desk so quickly Bo barely had time to put her back against the door before Ashley towered over her. Ashley didn't touch her. She didn't have to. Bo dropped her chin and turned her face away. Ashley brought her lips close to Bo's ear, and when she spoke, even the Weres outside in the hall, who could hear a mouse in the walls three floors below them, did not hear her. As their Alpha, she could speak to them mind-to-mind as effortlessly as she could with words. _Do you question my ability to lead, Imperator?_

Bo shivered and tilted her head, further exposing her neck. A Were as powerful as Ashley could crush the windpipe or tear open the great vessels in seconds. "No, Alpha, I do not doubt you. But I am responsible for keeping the Pack safe, and for that, we need you."

_ Am I not always here for you? _

"Yes, Alpha," Bo whispered, her eyes nearly closed, her gaze still averted. "But many in the Pack fear what will happen if the humans decide to hunt us. You give them the strength to fight the fear."

Ashley sighed and pressed her mouth to Bo's neck, grazing the bounding pulse with her fully erupted canines. Ashley's caress was possessive, not sexual. Bo was her wolf, as were all the wolves in the Pack, and Bo needed Ashley's touch, her heat, her strength. Isolation was a form of death for a Were. Bo arched subtly against her, taking comfort from Ashley's reassurance. Ashley growled and bit down gently until Bo whined, her shiver of fear turning to pleasure. Gradually, Bo relaxed against Ashley's body, at ease and content. Only then did Ashley release her.

"Do not worry, my wolf," Ashley whispered aloud. "The Pack will always come before all else in my life."

"I know," Bo murmured, grateful and saddened at the same time.

"Come on." Ashley squeezed Bo's shoulder. "Keep me company tonight on a run?"

"With pleasure, Alpha." Bo reached for the door and then abruptly stepped in front of Ashley. "Wait."

Ashley felt it too. Waves of tension streaming toward her from the guards outside the door, but she could sense no immediate threat. No scent of enemies. "Open it."

Bo did, but continued to shield Ashley's body with her own. "What is it, Aiden?"

Aiden, a barrel-chested male easily six inches taller than Ashley's own five-ten, filled the doorway, his grizzled face tight with strain. "We have a problem. Several of the young slipped our perimeters and left the Compound. We just found out."

"Where are they?" Heat flared in Ashley's eyes. The eastern extent of Pack land bordered the Catamount Clan territory in Nevada. The cat Weres were mostly feral and as territorial as the wolves. They would not give safe passage within their territory, even to foolish wolf pups.

"Here, in the city," Aiden replied.

"Who?"

"Sean, Clay, and Kyla."

Three teenagers, two brothers and a dominant young female, all in military training at the Compound—Ashley's home and Pack headquarters. The adolescents had strict curfews, not only because they were still too immature to control their shifts in the face of rampant hormonal changes, but because like all young wild animals, they craved excitement and had no sense of their own mortality. Ashley cursed.

"That's not all," Aiden said grimly.

"What else?" Ashley fixed him with a hard stare and he dropped his gaze to her shoulder.

"Clay was the one who called us. They're at Sierra Vista Hospital. We don't know what happened, but Kyla's injured."

Ashley shouldered him aside and was halfway down the hall before he even finished speaking. Bo, Aiden, and the third guard, Dyson, ran to keep up. Ashley didn't bother with the elevator but loped into the stairwell, grasped the metal railing, and vaulted over the side and onto the landing one floor below. She leapt down, floor by floor, until she reached ground level seconds later. When she went through the door into the dark, she was racing on all fours. The others couldn't shift while moving, and she didn't wait for them. She was the Pack Alpha, and one of hers was in danger.

Ashley ran alone through the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

"Jesus," George Mendez exclaimed, "what the hell is that racket?"

Spencer Carlin listened to the steady cacophony of snarls emanating from behind the closed curtain at the far end of the ER. "Wolf Weres. I paged the Were medic already."

"What are they doing here? I thought they were indestructible or something."

"They're extremely long-lived, I understand," Spencer said, "but not immortal. They can be hurt. Killed."

Her fellow medic didn't even bother to hide his disgust, and Spencer had to work not to make a caustic comment. He wasn't the only medic who didn't seem to think the oath they took extended to Praeterns, even though most of them had probably taken care of a witch or a lesser Fae at some point in their careers without knowing it. Probably not a Were, though. George was right, the Weres rarely showed up in the ER. Their Packs or Prides had their own medics. Just the same, if she'd had the slightest idea how to treat the young female Were who'd arrived with a stab wound to the shoulder, she would have. Assuming the adolescent males with the pretty young brunette would let her get close to the girl without a fight, which she doubted. Just the same, she would have tried if she'd thought she could do any good. The six-foot-tall boys had a few inches on her and more muscle, but she was a pretty solid fighter. She'd had to learn quickly how to defend herself in the series of foster homes and state facilities she'd grown up in. The problem was, she didn't know much about Were physiology—just one of the many secrets the Weres protected.

"Well, I wish to hell they'd quiet down. They're making the real patients nervous."

"I'll see if there's anything I can do." Spencer had seen the girl when the boys had brought her in. She was scared and she was in pain. The boys looked scared too, but they put up a tough front, snarling at anyone who approached, demanding a Were medic look at her and no one else. Spencer's instinct had been to help her, but she'd put in a call to Lauren Lewis, the medic who had worked in the ER for five years and who, after the Exodus, had announced to everyone she was a wolf Were. Spencer liked the plucky blonde, but some of their colleagues had given Lauren the cold shoulder since discovering she was a Praetern. "Why bother with them," George scoffed.

"Because that's why we're here," Spencer said, realizing that at the next ER staff meeting she'd have to bring up the schism developing around treating Praeterns. The bias had been subtle at first, but as each day passed, the prejudice was growing. The heated public debate over allowing Praeterns the rights of full citizenship hadn't helped. Some, more each day it seemed, argued that the constitution only protected humans.

"Watch yourself," George grunted as she walked away.

She stopped in front of the cubicle, not foolish enough to surprise the boys when they were obviously upset.

"Hey," she said to the curtain. "I'm Dr. Carlin. Can I help you at all? Can I come in?"

"No," a rough male voice snapped back.

"Look—I can start an IV, maybe give her something for pain."

"No one will touch her."

Spencer took a breath, kept her voice calm. "Someone's going to have to." She debated sliding back the curtain, but the sound of a commotion coming from the direction of the ER entrance diverted her. A brunette strode toward her, it wasn't Lauren Lewis. This woman was taller and leaner than Lauren, with dusty brown waves that just brushed her collar in place of Lauren's shoulder-length platinum locks. Keen chocolate eyes that took in everything around her in one sharp sweep dominated her strong, angular face. Even dressed in jeans and a plain navy T-shirt, she exuded an unmistakable air of authority.

Everyone in her path backed away, hurriedly averting their gaze, but as the brunette bore down on her, Spencer couldn't look away. When the dark brown eyes fixed on hers, an unexpected wave of heat coursed through her. She had seen Ashley Davies, the Special U.S. Councilor on Were Affairs, on television but the cameras had not done her justice. They had made her look older than she obviously was and had muted her untamed beauty and charisma. She smelled wild too—burnt pine and cinnamon, with an undercurrent of tangy sensuality.

"Are you responsible for them?" Spencer said, holding up one hand. "I need to see the girl but they won't let me in."

Slowing, Ashley studied the woman standing almost protectively in front of the closed curtain. Her shiny, collar-length blonde hair contrasted perfectly with her ivory skin, as if her face were bathed in moonlight. Her carved cheekbones and slightly square jaw reminded her of the stark beauty of sweeping mountain peaks. She wore scrubs the color of warm blood, and she blocked Ashley's path with unwavering courage. This stranger should have been afraid—of her and of her nearly out-of-control adolescents behind the thin curtain—but her slate blue eyes radiated only calm. A calm that slid over Ashley's skin like the brush of warm lips. Ashley shook off the unfamiliar urge to let down her guard, to rest for a moment in that seductive peacefulness. She could smell Kyla's pain, the boys' rising aggression. They were hers to protect, and this human had put herself between her and her wolves. A very dangerous and foolish thing to do.

"Who are you?" Ashley demanded.

"Dr. Spencer Carlin."

"You're a human physician."

"Yes. You're the Were Alpha, aren't you?"

"Yes," Ashley said, impressed with the human's use of the terms. Many humans preferred to avoid a direct reference to her species or her status. "Ashley Davies."

Spencer finally broke free of Ashley's hypnotic gaze and took in the whole of her long-limbed, rangy body. "You're barefoot."

For just a second, Ashley's full, perfectly proportioned lips flickered, as if she might smile, but then her expression cooled. She moved forward so quickly, Spencer barely had time to get out of her path.

"You'll excuse me." Ashley reached for the curtain. "I need to see to my young."

"Can I help you?"

"No." Ashley pulled the curtain aside.

Spencer stayed where she was. The Were Alpha hadn't said she couldn't watch.

"Alpha!" one of the boys exclaimed. Both boys, handsome dark-haired teenagers with startlingly beautiful brown eyes, immediately ducked their heads, seeming to shrink in on themselves. The equally beautiful brunette girl on the stretcher whimpered.

"What happened?" Ashley growled.

"Rogues," one of the boys whispered. "They attacked us in the park. We fought them, Alpha, but—"

Spencer jerked in shock and barely stifled a protest when Ashley Davies grabbed the boy by the collar and yanked him up onto his toes, shaking him so hard his thick black hair flew into his face. The Alpha and the young male were nearly the same size, but she handled him as if he were half her weight.

"You brought Kyla out of the Compound and then failed to protect her?" Ashley roared.

The boy trembled in her grasp and the girl, to her credit, forced herself upright on the stretcher, even though she was in obvious pain.

"I don't need males to protect me," Kyla cried, her dark blue irises circled in gold. "I am strong enough—"

Ashley whipped her head around and silenced the girl with a glare. "And you? You followed these brainless pups against my explicit orders? You want to be a soldier, yet cannot obey a simple command from your Alpha?"

The girl's pale face blanched even whiter and she shuddered.

"She was attacked," Spencer exclaimed, instinctively wanting to shield the injured girl. There'd been a time when she had been the defenseless one, and no one had stood for her. She had stopped hoping for, stopped needing, that kind of caring a long time ago, but she couldn't erase her bone-deep drive to defend the defenseless. "She's hurt and in no condition—"

"This is none of your concern," Ashley snarled, rounding on Spencer, lethal-looking canines flashing. Her eyes were no longer brown, but wolf-gold. "These are _my_ wolves."

Spencer stiffened, the memory of bruises inflicted by older, stronger youths in a group home suddenly as fresh as if the blows had been delivered yesterday. She heard a low rumble and her skin prickled, the fine hairs on her arms and neck quivering. Forcing herself to think, not react, Spencer assessed the scene as she would an unknown clinical situation. The boy was limp in the Alpha's grasp, the way Spencer had seen young kittens and puppies go boneless in their mothers' jaws. The teenagers did not appear frightened or abused. Chastised, yes. But not afraid. In fact, all three of them looked at Ashley Davies with something close to adulation. Spencer realized that no matter how human they appeared, these Weres did not live by human social and moral conventions, and she was out of her element.

"My apologies, Ms. Davies," Spencer said softly. "I meant no offense."

Inclining her head infinitesimally, Ashley said, "None taken."

Ashley was impressed with the human's fortitude. When Pack Alphas went dominant, they exuded a complex combination of powerful hormones that triggered a deeply ingrained flight instinct in the primitive brain centers of every species. Any other human, and even the most dominant wolves, would have cowered in the face of her rage. But Ashley had no time to ponder why this human female seemed able to absorb her fury without fear. Kyla needed her.

Ashley released Sean and turned to Kyla. When she stroked the girl's cheek, the teenager nuzzled her palm.

"Where are you hurt, Kyla?" Ashley inquired softly.

Kyla lifted her chin, seeming to take strength from Ashley's touch. "My shoulder."

Spencer watched the exchange, struck by the tenderness that passed between the Alpha and the young Were. Anyone who wasn't looking closely would have missed the small signs of caring, but to Spencer the subtle gestures said everything. The deep love that existed between these Weres and Ashley Davies was unmistakable.

"Did any of you shift?" Ashley asked, taking in the three teens. The two boys had crowded around the stretcher now, each of them stroking the girl, comforting her.

Kyla shook her head. "I wanted to, because I thought it might heal my shoulder, but I was afraid to try. You said we couldn't, without permission."

"So you did remember something," Ashley murmured, rubbing her knuckles along Kyla's jaw. "Turn over, let me see."

Obediently, Kyla rolled onto her side and Spencer eased into the cubicle for a better look. Kyla's shirt was in tatters and Ashley swept it aside, revealing a long gash in the trapezius muscle, beginning high on her back just to the left of her spine and extending diagonally downward for six inches. The wound didn't look like any knife wound Spencer had ever seen. The edges were blackened and already beginning to fester. Angry red streaks extended outward from the gangrenous margins for several inches. Something was very wrong.

"That wound is infected." Spencer pushed closer. "Let me at least take a loo—"

"No," Ashley lashed back.

Then Spencer heard a sound unlike anything she'd ever heard before—not a snarl, not a growl. A deep, resonant rumble filled with pure animal fury. The air around Ashley Davies shimmered, and a surge of energy skittered over Spencer's skin. Her breath caught in her chest as Spencer tried to make sense of what she was seeing. Ashley held Kyla face down on the bed with one hand clamped around the back of her neck. Her other hand was no longer a hand, but an elongated appendage with inch-long, razor-sharp claws. Before Spencer could force her own limbs to move again, Ashley plunged her claws into the girl's shoulder.

Kyla screamed.


	3. Chapter 3

Okay so I haven't gotten any reviews yet on where you guys want me to keep going with this but decided to put a few more chapters up. Oh and I was wondering if you guys wanted me to make a character list to explain what tv show everyone is from specifically. If so just PM me or write a review saying so.

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

Spencer shoved her way in front of the boy at the head of the stretcher. "Back up, let me get to her."

She briefly registered a look of confusion in his chestnut eyes, then something like acquiescence. He made room for her, switching his grip to Kyla's arms. Spencer grasped Kyla's shoulders to prevent the thrashing girl from throwing herself off the stretcher. Whatever Ashley Davies was doing, Spencer had to believe it was necessary. "I've got her."

"Be careful, don't let her bite you," Ashley ordered.

The Alpha's voice was an octave lower than it had been and so rough Spencer had to strain to make out the words. When she comprehended the warning, she bent down to see Kyla's face. Her eyes were wide and wild, a red-gold eclipsing the blue irises. Sharp canines extended beyond her blood-flecked lower lip. Bones grated, muscles bunched and rippled beneath Spencer's hands. The young girl emitted a terrified whine, bucking and writhing, the flesh on her fingertips tearing as she flailed at the table. A brackish black fluid welled from the laceration in her back, bubbling out over her smooth golden skin, an obscenity of putrefaction and decay.

"What is that?" Spencer asked.

"Poison," Ashley snarled, forcing her claws deeper into the wound.

"Is she shifting?"

"She can't—the poison is paralyzing her."

Rivulets of sweat ran down Kyla's face. The flesh beneath Spencer's hands was blisteringly hot.

"She's becoming hyperthermic." Spencer railed inwardly at her helplessness. She didn't understand Were physiology. Pre-Exodus the Weres had hidden their biologic differences to prevent discovery, and they still safeguarded that information. Some theorized the Praetern species feared their enemies would develop bioweapons to be used for their selective termination. Right now, Spencer didn't care about politics or power games. She cared about one teenaged girl who was going to die.

"What's causing it? What's the toxic agent?" Spencer demanded. Kyla's lips were covered with pink froth and her breathing was labored. An ominous crackling sound accompanied every breath. "Her lungs are filling up with blood. Maybe I can administer an antidote. Let me help her before she drowns."

"You _can't_." Ashley dragged a two-inch triangular object from the depths of Kyla's wound. It looked like metal of some kind.

Spencer registered a babble of voices behind her in the hall, shouts and snarls morphing into an incomprehensible roar of anger and panic. The next thing she knew, she was thrown against the wall and pinned there with an arm across her throat. Acting on instinct, she shot out her fist and connected with flesh and bone. Someone cursed. The pressure on her throat lessened for an instant, and Spencer wrapped both hands around a forearm that was smaller than she had anticipated but as hard as sculpted iron. She managed to suck in a breath.

"I'm a friend," she gasped, focusing on the fierce hazel eyes that bore into hers. "A doctor."

The only response was a threatening growl from the auburn-haired female who restrained her. Spencer responded with a near growl of her own. She'd tried negotiating. Now she'd fight. Even the warning flash of canines couldn't stop her. She let go of the arm across her throat, but she hadn't counted on the inhuman speed of these Weres. Before she could even begin to throw a punch, her arm was slammed against the wall and held there in a granite grip. The constriction on her throat tightened again and her vision started to dim.

"Bo!" Ashley shouted. "Let her go!"

Instantly, Spencer was freed. She fought the urge to slump down as she struggled to fill her lungs with air. Her throat was raw and her wrist throbbed, but she refused to give in to the shadows that crept over her mind. Stiffening her spine, she stared at the female who stood between her and Ashley with an expression in her eyes like nothing Spencer had ever seen before. She had no doubt this Were wanted to rip her limb from limb, and probably would have had she continued her fruitless struggle.

Spencer was aware of a crowd gathering outside the cubicle, but she didn't care about anything other than Kyla. To her astonishment, Ashley reached down and lifted the unconscious teenager into her arms as if she weighed no more than a child. For the first time Spencer noted the changes in Ashley's face—an angular elongation and sharpening of the bones that seemed to be disappearing even as she watched. The Alpha's limb had reverted to a hand as well.

"She's too unstable to move," Spencer warned.

Bo growled softly. Spencer ignored her, her focus on Ashley. "At least let me check her before you leave. If her temperature is still elevated, she could seize. Her lungs are already compromised."

The Were Alpha seemed not to have heard.

"Aiden," Ashley said. "Take Sean and Clay out to the Rover." She gave the boys a brief glance, her expression softening for an instant. "Go. I have Kyla."

The teenagers obeyed instantly. As they trooped out behind the enormous, craggy-faced Aiden, Spencer tried to approach Ashley, only to find Bo firmly in her path. She hadn't even seen the Were guard move.

"Excuse me," Spencer said, meeting Bo's gaze but attempting not to transmit any kind of challenge. She wasn't interested in fighting, but she intended to speak with Ashley.

Bo's expression remained completely impassive, but her brown eyes flared in warning.

"It's all right, Bo," Ashley said with surprising gentleness.

Bo hesitated and Spencer could feel her reluctance, sensed her agonized compulsion to follow two dictates. She pictured how it must have looked to Bo coming upon the mad scene in the cubicle—Kyla thrashing in agony, the Were teenagers almost out of control, the enraged Were Alpha. Spencer had been standing so close to Ashley _and_ with her hands on one of their young. No wonder she'd ended up against the wall. Bo had been trying to protect Ashley, and Spencer respected that.

"I'm no threat to your Alpha," Spencer said, her anger dissipating. "I give you my word."

Bo's brows rose in surprise. Her harsh glare softened, but she said quietly, "If you make one wrong move, I'll rip your throat out."

"So noted."

Apparently satisfied, Bo stepped aside.

Ashley frowned at Spencer. "Are you hurt?"

"No," Spencer replied.

"What you did—getting that close to Kyla, to me—was very foolish." Ashley stroked Kyla's hair and the girl whimpered, burrowing her face against Ashley's neck. "We're very protective of all our young, but especially the females. When one is threatened, we become—aggressive."

"What I did was as natural for me as what you did was for you."

Ashley shook her head. "I don't think so."

"At least tell me what happened here," Spencer insisted. She understood enough of Were culture to know they were driven more strongly than humans by physical instincts, but her instincts to care for the injured were just as strong. "I've seen something like this before."

"That would be very unlikely," Ashley said.

"Just explain—" Spencer hesitated as Lauren Lewis, the Were medic, slipped through the crowd and into the cubicle.

"Alpha," Lauren said, dipping her head briefly before glancing at Bo. Her gaze seemed to catch as it passed over Bo's face. "_Imperator_."

"Lauren," Bo said, her tone low and rough.

"I'm sorry, Alpha," Lauren said to Ashley.

"I was across town when I got the call. I came immediately. How is she?"

"Better." Ashley cradled Kyla's head against her shoulder, her blood-streaked hand on the back of Kyla's neck. _This might not have been an isolated incident. I need you to check the records for other rogue attacks._

Lauren nodded.

Spencer sensed the silent communication. The Weres had never admitted to having any kind of telepathic ability, but it was clear Ashley was addressing Lauren in some way. While she appreciated the need to prevent knowledge of Were biology from being turned into a weapon against them, she resented being excluded. Irrational, but there it was. These Weres shared something unique with Ashley Davies, and Spencer envied the intimacy.

"I want to know what kind of emergency treatment I should institute next time," Spencer repeated, shrugging off the emotional reaction that made no sense to her.

"Bo, Lauren," Ashley said, "wait outside."

Lauren immediately retreated to the hall, but Bo whipped her head around, muttering something too low for Spencer to hear.

"I'm fine," Ashley said. "Go, I'll be right there."

With one last warning snarl in Spencer's direction, Bo disappeared.

Ashley regarded Spencer with a penetrating stare. "If this happens again—or anything like it, you should not interfere."

"I won't stand by and watch a patient die."

"You don't understand the repercussions. What kind of danger you'll be in."

"Then why don't you tell me."

"I don't know you, Dr. Carlin. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Why not?"

"You're not Pack," Ashley murmured, wondering why she was bothering to explain. Revealing their presence to the human population had been risk enough. She would not expose her Pack or any of the other Praeterns to potential genocide. She didn't even know why she lingered to talk to this human doctor. Kyla, although not in immediate danger, was exhausted from her instinctive struggle to shift and expel the poison. The toxin leaching into her system had blocked her shift, and she was at risk for more serious complications. Complications Ashley had no intention of revealing to a human. Ashley needed to get Kyla home so the Pack _medicus_ could monitor her.

Spencer frowned. "What happens the next time a Were comes in like this, and you're not here?"

"I will be."

"You can't be everywhere," Spencer insisted, her temper rising. She did not suffer impotence well.

"I will be where I need to be." Ashley started toward the hall, then stopped and turned back. "I apologize for any pain we may have caused you. The Pack is in your debt and you may call on us for repayment at any time."

Spencer straightened. "No debt is owed, Ms. Davies. I would do the same again."

"Beware that your bravery does not lead you into harm, Doctor." Ashley stepped into the hall where Bo and a brunette nearly too beautiful to be male fell in on either side of her.

Watching them glide down the hall, their long strides fluid and graceful, Spencer noted that all three wore T-shirts, jeans, and no shoes. The big male Aiden, who had escorted the teenagers out, had been dressed the same way. Another secret she would not have the answer to this night. Ashley Davies and her wolves disappeared, leaving Spencer feeling oddly empty.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

"You worthless mutt! Your orders are to capture females, not kill them!" Rainer clubbed the young male on the side of the head, knocking him to his knees, and kicked him in the midsection. "I should gut you for letting them escape." "Please, Rainer, I'm sorry." The Were moaned and curled into a ball as the tall, muscular blond known only as Rainer loomed over him. Rainer was decked in leather from head to toe, and was as much feared in his human shape as wolf. He killed ruthlessly and efficiently in either form. "We didn't expect them to resist—they're only pups. But they fought, and the struggle was beginning to draw attention, so we retreated. We thought—"

"I don't pay you to think." Rainer kicked the sniveling underling again. "I pay you to do as I command."

Rainer paced the length of the abandoned warehouse situated on the banks of the Hudson, his anger a black miasma threatening to snap his control. Bare bulbs swung from exposed beams, and the smell of rotting fish and decaying wood assaulted his acute sense of smell. He was forced to make his headquarters in a decrepit, derelict building while Ashley Davies's expansive compound occupied thousands of acres within the even vaster territory owned by the Timberwolf Pack. He should be the leader there, not her. Pivoting sharply, he stalked back to the pathetic, cowering runt who had let a prime female escape. He'd promised delivery and now he would have to find a plausible reason for the delay.

The male scuttled back against the wall, drawing his knees up to protect his body. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. He glanced at the ragtag assortment of rogues clustered in the shadows, hoping for some support. No one came forward in his defense and his voice rose as he babbled, "We've been watching their perimeters, Rainer. The pups are restless and often stray outside. We'll get another one."

"You'd better," Rainer growled through gritted teeth. He kicked the huddled youth into unconsciousness, then turned on the rest of the pathetic group shuffling uneasily nearby. "What are you still doing here? Don't you have product to move out on the streets?"

"Yes, Rainer," they replied in unison before fleeing.

Alone in the dank darkness, Rainer raged at the injustice and bad fortune that had left him with nothing but a handful of decent soldiers and a pack of worthless rogues to carry out his orders while Ashley Davies played at being Alpha. Her Pack was promised to him. Promised. Now that she had been appointed Special Councilor, the other Alphas were afraid to move against her. As if her negotiations with the humans really mattered. Weres should never negotiate with humans or any other species. Weres should take what they wanted—and he would. Starting with the Gray Timberwolf Pack.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

"How is she?" Bo slid onto the bench next to Ashley in the rear of the heavily reinforced Rover. They'd removed the seats and bolted benches along each sidewall to make transporting Weres in pelt form easier. Alex, the youngest of the centuri at just twenty-three, drove while Aiden rode shotgun. Dyson and the two boys sat on the floor, while Ashley held Kyla.

"She's weak, but there's no sign the toxin is spreading." Ashley skimmed her hand over Kyla's cheek. "No indication of cellular breakdown."

"You're sure it was argyria poisoning?"

"Yes." Ashley's voice was still rough with fury. "I've got the proof in my pocket."

Bo sucked in a breath. "What is it?"

"A knife blade, coated in silver. It must have struck bone and broken off when they stabbed her. I dug it out from under her shoulder blade. Another three inches and it would have been in her heart."

And the beautiful young Were would have been dead before Ashley could have reached her. Ashley snarled her rage.

"You shouldn't be carrying it," Bo said, looking panicked. "Let me."

Ashley swiveled her head and narrowed her eyes. "And risk you getting cut?"

"Alpha—" Bo's tone was agonized.

"Bo," Ashley chided, cupping Bo's jaw in her palm. She leaned closer and kissed Bo's forehead. "Stop worrying. I'm in no danger."

"You're not impervious to the poison. Damn it, Ashley, you're not immortal."

Ashley grinned. "Trying to scare me?"

Bo rolled her eyes. "As if I could." Her expression suddenly grew serious. "What if Kyla develops the fever?"

"She'll fight it. We'll help her." Ashley breathed out a sigh. "She's young and strong. The anaphylaxis stopped as soon as I got the silver out. She should heal the injury rapidly as long as the dose of toxin isn't too high." She tightened her arms around the young Were who slept so innocently in her arms. "If the paralytic had spread much further, she might have been permanently damaged."

"Her shoulder." Bo shuddered. "If the muscles are destroyed, she won't be able to run."

For a wolf there was nothing worse than being chained, being unable to run, unable to hunt, unable to breathe free under the moon.

"Kyla will be fine." Ashley rubbed her cheek against the top of Kyla's head, then wrapped an arm around Bo's shoulders and pulled her close. Bo laid her cheek on Ashley's chest and threaded her arm around Ashley's waist. The boys crowded closer, one wrapping his arm around her calf, the other laying his head on her thigh. Dyson braced his back against her other leg.

"Rest, my wolves," Ashley murmured, tilting her head against the window and closing her eyes. "Everyone is safe."

She didn't sleep as the Rover turned off the highway onto an overgrown, unmarked trail that led deep into the forest to the Compound. Instead, she mentally replayed the scene in the ER. She dealt with humans on a daily basis and unlike many of her Pack, she didn't think that humans were weaker or less honorable than Weres just because they lived by a far more ambiguous moral code. Still, she couldn't afford to trust them—she couldn't put her Pack, or any Praetern species, at risk by confiding in a potential enemy. But she had allowed Spencer Carlin to witness more of their vulnerability than any human ever had, believing instinctively that Spencer would hold their secrets. This human female had slipped through her defenses, and that made her very dangerous indeed.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above.

* * *

Spencer found Lauren in a small conference room tucked into an alcove in the ER. The Were medic sat alone, filling out charts. Ever since Ashley and her Weres had left, the ER staff had been giving Lauren a wide berth, and some had been casting curious glances in Spencer's direction. She'd even heard a few disgruntled comments about those kind going somewhere else for emergency treatment. Tonight, for some reason, the thinly veiled prejudice bothered her more than usual. She kept seeing the pain and terror in Kyla's eyes.

Spencer poured herself a cup of coffee and when Lauren glanced up from the charts, pointed to the pot. "Want some?"

"No thanks."

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you drink coffee." Spencer sat down across from the blonde at the small round table that bore the stains of many leaky paper cups and spilled take-out food containers. "I didn't think it was possible to be in medicine and survive without coffee."

"Most human drugs, even caffeine and alcohol, don't really have much effect on us," Lauren said softly, appearing curiously shy. "Something about our metabolism just counteracts them."

"I guess that can be good or bad, huh?"

Lauren smiled, and Spencer was struck by the subtle similarity in her appearance to Ashley and Bo. Like the other two Were females, the muscles in her bare arms below the short sleeves of her scrub shirt were subtly enhanced, the sweeping arch of her cheekbones bolder than that of most women, her eyes slightly up-tilted. And the edges of her deep mahogany irises flickered with gold. That was as far as the likeness went, however. Both Ashley and Bo exuded an air of confidence that might have been construed as arrogant if it hadn't seemed to be such an innate part of their personalities. Ashley was several octaves higher on the aggression scale than even Bo. Lauren, while outgoing and friendly, lacked that aggression—for want of a better description. One feature they all shared, however: they were each extraordinarily beautiful.

"Is your baseline temperature higher too?" Spencer grimaced at the burnt aftertaste of her coffee and set the mug aside.

"Almost two full degrees. How did you know?"

"Kyla's temperature was shooting through the roof. A lot more than that two-degree difference could account for."

Lauren looked away uncomfortably.

"She didn't seem to be febrile when the boys brought her in. Is it okay to call them boys?"

"Boys works fine. We also call them pups," Lauren said softly, "or young."

"Pups seems about right." Spencer laughed and Lauren grinned.

"She was on the verge of Were fever, wasn't she?" Spencer asked.

"I didn't examine her. I couldn't say."

Spencer knew she was being evasive. "If human medics knew more about Were physiology, we could take care of these emergencies when one of your medics wasn't around."

"We're not all that different. Organs in the same place, more or less. Same skeletal structure when we're in skin form—" Lauren sighed. "Obviously there are differences, but they're not readily apparent."

"And you can't tell me?"

"That's for the Alpha to decide."

"Ashley."

Lauren flushed. "The Alpha, yes."

"She knew you on sight. Are you friends?"

"With the Alpha?" Lauren stared at Spencer as if she had just said something terribly amusing. "No. She's the Alpha. She knows all our names."

Spencer wanted to keep Lauren talking. She wanted to know more about Ashley Davies. She couldn't stop thinking about the way Ashley had handled the teenagers. Her combination of discipline and tenderness had struck a chord in Spencer, whose own adolescence had mostly been one of indifference bordering on neglect. The way Ashley had attacked the poison in Kyla's body, as if it were a lethal enemy to be destroyed with claws and teeth, had taken Spencer's breath away. She'd been brutal, fierce, stunning in her wrath. The Were Alpha was an intriguing contradiction, and Spencer was fascinated.

"I read there are hundreds in your Pack," Spencer said, figuring if she referred to public knowledge Lauren would be more comfortable. "That's a lot of names."

"We are the largest Pack in North America—only the Russian White River Pack rivals ours worldwide," Lauren said proudly. "The other North American packs were hunted almost to extinction and are just now coming back."

"Hunted." A cold chill flashed along Spencer's spine and she leaned closer. "By humans?"

"We have not always had to hide, but we have always been hunted." Lauren flushed again as if realizing she'd said too much. She stood up abruptly, averting her gaze. "I should get back to work."

"I'm sorry." Spencer rose, recognizing Lauren's posture as similar to the way the boys had reacted to Ashley's anger. She hadn't meant to intimidate the medic and wasn't sure how she had. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. Your Alpha made an impression on me. When she was treating Kyla—her power was amazing."

"You felt that?" Sounding surprised, Lauren busied herself with collecting the charts.

"Yes. How could anyone not?" Spencer hurried on before Lauren disappeared. "Why do you all seem to trust her so much?"

Lauren frowned, giving Spencer a cautious look. "She's the Alpha. Our leader. Without her, the Pack couldn't function. There would be power struggles, rebellion, chaos. Many of us would not survive."

"I understand the importance of her position, but the trust part?"

"She'd die for us." Lauren spoke with simple conviction and absolute certainty.

Spencer tried to comprehend the kind of strength and personal sacrifice required of one individual to safeguard an entire community, and couldn't. If she hadn't seen Ashley with her wolves, she wouldn't have believed it possible. But she had seen her, and her blood still raced from the excitement of their encounter.


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks to all of you that reviewed I really appreciate it and I will continue with the story as long as you guys like me too. :)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley paced the small room in the infirmary where she'd brought Kyla directly upon arrival at the Compound, three hundred square miles of fortified mountain ranges deep in the heart of Pack land. Her mother had built the protectorate almost a century ago when she had consolidated the many small, scattered enclaves of wolf Weres in the King High Mountains of California and the Green Mountains of Nevada into one cohesive Pack.

The nerve center of the Compound consisted of an enormous hard-packed earth courtyard ringed by a dozen log buildings, all enclosed within a twelve-foot-high fence. The main building was a massive three-story timber and stone lodge with Ashley's headquarters on the second floor. The barracks, a long two-story building, housed the young males and females who were in military training, two to a room. A breezeway connected the barracks to the mess hall. Tall antennae and rooftop satellite dishes for long-range surveillance marked the communications center. In the center of the Compound, protected by an internal perimeter guarded twenty-four hours a day by some of Ashley's finest fighters, was a heavily fortified single-story building with two wings housing the infirmary and the nursery. Underground tunnels connected all the structures and led to escape exits in the surrounding forest. Ashley's private den was five miles farther into the forest, a simple three-room single-story log cabin whose location was known only to her personal guards.

"Any change?" Ashley halted abruptly, fists on hips, and confronted Chelsea, the Pack _medicus_. The sight of Kyla helpless and hurt was making Ashley's wolf rip at her insides in a mad fury to protect her own. Ashley wanted to lash out, wanted to lose her claws and shred whoever had dared harm one of hers. She shuddered and black pelt glinted beneath her skin, her wolf breaking free. Ignoring the pain, she held her back. "Chelsea?"

"She's not going to wake up for a few more hours at least." The petite brunette, perched on a stool next to the bed where Kyla lay beneath a colorful knit afghan, cast Ashley an appraising glance. Her lips thinned in concern. "You look on the verge of frenzy. Why don't you take care of it?"

Ashley narrowed her eyes, emitting a barely audible rumble.

Chelsea raised one dark brow in Ashley's direction. "Don't growl at me, either. I whelped you, and I remember when you were just a mewling scrawny pup."

"Is there any sign of the fever?" Ashley chose to ignore Chelsea, knowing she wouldn't win an argument with her. Their chief medic was barely two decades older than Ashley, and in the centuries-long lifespan of a Were, that was negligible. Their relationship was as close to that of siblings as Ashley could have with anyone in the Pack. Chelsea would never undermine that closeness by challenging her in front of others, but she didn't shy away from nagging Ashley in private.

"No sign of fever yet. In another few hours I can say for certain that she's safe." Chelsea traced her fingers tenderly along Kyla's pale cheek. She shook her head, her dark eyes filling with sorrow. "Who would do this to a child?"

"Sean said they smelled like wolf Weres, but not Pack. Rogues."

"But why would they poison her? It makes no sense."

"I'm not sure they meant to kill her." Ashley regarded the broken knife tip she had dug out of Kyla's body. Chelsea had placed it in a safe, sealed container to be delivered to their technicians at Davies Industries—their medical and pharmaceutical research facility—in the morning. While they needed a complete analysis of the chemical nature of the poison impregnated into the knife blade, she didn't need a scientist to tell her it was silver-based. Only another Were would know that silver was lethal, even in very small doses. "Sean said the rogues tried to separate Kyla from the boys, and when all three of our adolescents fought back, the rogues panicked. Kyla was accidentally stabbed in the chaos."

"They intentionally targeted Kyla," Chelsea echoed bleakly, keeping her hand protectively on Kyla's shoulder. "Kyla would make three, Ashley. Three dominant females. It can't be a coincidence."

"No," Ashley said darkly, her canines lengthening as her wolf howled in rage. "Someone is abducting our females."

Two young Were females had disappeared in the last half year—the first had been believed killed in a landslide while hiking alone, but her body had never been recovered. The second had disappeared from a local campus after leaving a note in her dorm room saying she and a male from another Pack were eloping. The girl's parents swore she would never have kept a serious romantic relationship from them, especially not one with a non-Pack male. Ashley had ordered an investigation, but her sentries had found nothing. Although young wolves, males and females, frequently roamed before mating and settling down, Pack and family ties were central to every Were's life. Runaways were almost unheard of. These females did not disappear willingly.

"Why? What kind of wolf would do such a thing?" Chelsea's voice shook with outrage. "You've let it be known that any rogue is welcome to join us if they swear allegiance to the Pack. They don't have to live like feral _cats_."

"I don't know," Ashley said grimly. "But I'll find out."

Ashley knelt on the flagstone floor by Kyla's bed and rested her forehead against Kyla's. Closing her eyes, she murmured, "Sleep, little one. Sleep and heal. All is well."

Kyla whined contentedly in her sleep and nuzzled Ashley's cheek. Ashley rose and, feeling Chelsea's worried gaze on her face, stroked Chelsea's ebony hair. "Don't worry for me."

"If I don't, who else will you allow?" Chelsea caught Ashley's hand and entwined their fingers. "You should at least take a lover."

"Chelsea, don't push me," Ashley warned, her tone turning Alpha.

"I'm the Pack _medicus_. It's my responsibility to attend to your well-being," Chelsea insisted.

"My well-being is fine."

"Your wolf runs close to the skin. She needs calming. So do you." Chelsea gave Ashley's fingers a squeeze. "Sherry would tangle willingly. So would Nadia or Alex."

"Alex is one of my centuri," Ashley protested. Her guards swore a blood oath to her, and she to them, a bond as unbreakable as a mating bond. For her to take one of them as her lover would disrupt the unity of their cadre. Any hesitation, any uncertainty in rank or order, would leave them all vulnerable in a fight. Ashley's voice dropped dangerously low. "You would have me risk their lives for empty pleasure?"

"Pleasure is never empty when there is caring, and they love you. We all love you."

"I know," Ashley whispered, skimming her lips over Chelsea's knuckles.

"Your father was centuri to your mother," Chelsea pointed out. "That did not stop her, why should it stop you?"

"We will not speak of them," Ashley said, and this time it was a command. "My centuri are not my bed partners."

"As you wish, Alpha," Chelsea said, "but Sherry is not even a soldier. She has the look of a _mater_ through and through. She would set your bed afire and give you strong, sturdy pups."

"Ever since you and Hale mated, you've become an incorrigible matchmaker," Ashley teased, hoping to deflect Chelsea from a topic she had been trying to ignore. She hadn't tangled with anyone for weeks, and for a Were, more than a few days was a very long time. Physical contact—touch, sexual release—was essential to Were physical and emotional well-being, and the more dominant the Were, the greater the need. Without a physical outlet for their intrinsically high levels of endorphins and adrenergic hormones, especially if augmented by stress, the delicate balance between beast and reason broke down. Unrelenting sex frenzy could push Weres to become feral, and going feral was a death sentence.

As a natural counterbalance, all Weres were highly sexual, and since there were no social sanctions against casual sexual encounters, unmated Weres often had multiple partners of both sexes simultaneously. Abstinence for an Alpha was unheard of. Their innate super-aggression heightened their sex drive, and without frequent venting, their untamable wolves pressed for dominance. Ashley's wolf had been riding her hard the last few weeks, enraged by the escalating dangers threatening the Pack, demanding the freedom to hunt and destroy their enemies. Ashley knew she was walking a dangerous path. She needed all her control at the best of times to keep her wolf in check. Negotiating with the human politicians, containing the constant infighting among the Praetern alliance members, and providing stability for her Pack strained her reserves to the breaking point. She was agitated, sleepless, hypersexual. But every time she thought she had to take a female for a night or surrender to wolf madness, she resisted, knowing she would remain unsatisfied. Her body craved sex, her wolf craved a fight, but her heart, despite all of her attempts to deny it, craved a connection. So she denied herself the sex, denied her wolf the release, and refused to acknowledge what she really wanted.

"Sherry wants a mate," Ashley grunted.

"And you need to release before you find yourself in full frenzy." Chelsea pointed a finger, stopping Ashley's protest. "Even I can feel your call, and I have a mate who satisfies me quite nicely. If my urges are triggered this much, before long, you'll throw the females into heat—"

"I won't let that happen." An entire Pack of females in heat would drive the dominant males and females crazy. They'd have chaos as the dominants fought for bedding rights. If Ashley couldn't dampen her pheromones enough to prevent the females from cycling to her, she'd need to have sex just to settle the Pack. "I've got it under control."

"For now," Chelsea sighed. "Stubborn wolf."

"I must go." Ashley kissed Chelsea on the mouth, a brief brush of lips. "I need to double the border guards on the Compound, and we have unmated females in the community who need to be warned and protected. Call me if there's any change with Kyla."

"Promise me you'll sleep at least."

"I'll sleep," Ashley said as she closed the door to the sickroom behind her. She would sleep when her enemies were dead and her Pack was safe.

She loped through the empty halls of the Compound and out through the massive double wooden doors onto the deck that wrapped around three sides of the building. The moon was well past its zenith now, and storm clouds slashed across her face. Ashley breathed deeply, sniffing rain in the air and the scent of deer moving through the trees. She sent a silent message to John, the captain of her _sentries_.

_Reinforce our outer borders. Double the guards on the inner perimeter. Give no one safe passage on Pack land. _

She pulled off her T-shirt, unzipped her jeans and pushed them off, and left the clothes in a pile at the top of the wide stone stairs. Running naked toward the trees, she shifted in motion, gliding into the forest as invisibly as a wraith. She lifted her face to the moon and howled, the pull in her loins and the longing in her heart for a mate to run with her under the night sky so strong she ached. Scenting another wolf following her, she circled back on her own trail and crouched in the underbrush, waiting until the sleek red-gray wolf drew near. Then, as silent as a ghost, she exploded from her hiding place and caught the wolf's neck in her jaws, dragging her down. The she-wolf snapped at her, closing her powerful jaws millimeters from Ashley's foreleg. Ashley growled and shook her powerful shoulders, forcing the gray onto her back. She pressed down, belly to belly, then let her go. The gray jumped up, snarled, and they circled one another, lunging and snapping, rolling and thrashing. Eventually when the gray began to slow the slightest bit, Ashley caught the other wolf's muzzle in her jaws. The wolf went limp, allowing Ashley to mount her. Ashley clasped the wolf between her legs and growled. When the wolf whined and licked her face, Ashley released her and settled on the ground. Panting, the gray wolf inched closer until their shoulders touched. She rested her head on her paws and gazed at Ashley.

_Chelsea sent you, didn't she? _

Bo rubbed her nose under Ashley's jaw.

_Did she tell you I needed a tussle? _

Bo flashed a wolfie grin.

Ashley sighed. _Come, hunt with me. If you can keep up. _

Surrendering to her wolf, Ashley jumped up and tore off into the woods, Bo hard at her shoulder. Ashley loved Bo, loved running with Bo at her side, but still her heart ached.


	8. Chapter 8

Okay so this one is **Rated M **just know you have been warned, and no unfortunately it's not a spashley scene but that's coming soon enough. Enjoy!

PS. Also remember this is a full book so there is a good amount of character development for other people besides the main characters. So please don't get to impatient with me if there is a lack of spashley in a chapter. :)

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Mmm," Nadia murmured, arching her back and rolling her hips as her orgasm ebbed, "I do love it when you run with the Alpha."

"Why is that?" Bo nuzzled the small redhead's neck, licking the spot she'd bitten earlier just as she was about to explode all over Nadia's gorgeous ass. Nadia turned her head and nipped at Bo's jaw.

"You're always wild for a long, hard tangle after."

Nadia was right. Running with Ashley, awash in the Alpha's power, always left Bo excruciatingly aroused and ready to tangle with the first willing female she found. Tonight, the burning in her loins was greater than she could ever remember, the fire so hot she hurt. The sex glands buried on either side of her clitoral shaft swelled and pulsed, reminding her she wasn't done yet. She caressed the svelte muscles in Nadia's back and when Nadia raised her ass in invitation, Bo straddled her and fit her stiffening clitoris into the tight cleft between Nadia's buttocks. She groaned when Nadia squeezed down on her. The clitoral core went rigid and she wanted to come.

"Be careful how you tease," Bo gasped, her canines lengthening as Nadia's motions stripped her control. Like most dominants, she could extrude her canines and claws at will, but they would emerge involuntarily when she was enraged or sex frenzied.

"Tonight you're even hungrier than usual." Nadia tightened and released her powerful muscles, milking Bo's clitoris and making her growl. "You're still ready and you've already come three times."

"Four, but who's counting." Bo bit Nadia's earlobe and dragged her clitoris free before the frenzy claimed her. She'd already been selfish enough. She was dominant to everyone in the Pack except Ashley, and Nadia would have been more than willing to couple with her at any time. But that wasn't the reason Bo had come to her tonight. Nadia did not think of her as a potential mate, so she could tangle with her without any guilt later. She'd shown up naked at Nadia's door, waking her from a sound sleep, panting and dripping with sex sweat. The dominance scent she'd exuded would have instantly readied any unmated Were in her vicinity.

I need you now, she'd snarled.

Nadia hadn't said a word, only dropped to her knees and sucked her to release within seconds. She'd come a second time straddling Nadia's thigh while she fucked her on the floor. Nadia had screamed through her orgasm, clawing at Bo's shoulders and back. When Bo had finally been able to focus through the frenzy, she'd carried Nadia to the bed and taken her a third time from behind, thrusting hard inside while she stimulated Nadia's clitoris with her other hand. Her primal need for dominance had been so great, she'd refused to release Nadia's clitoris after Nadia came, forcing release after release from the keening female. Now that she had regained a little control, she scented that Nadia was still ready and Bo wanted to satisfy her. Nadia's appetite for sex was always strong, but tonight she seemed particularly needy. Bo stroked the inside of Nadia's thigh and cupped her high between her legs. She was hot and wet.

"I'm not the only one who's still ready," Bo whispered, caressing the underside of Nadia's firm clitoris where her sex glands rested. "You're burning."

"The craving's been riding me so hard for two days." Nadia whimpered and pumped herself against Bo's hand. "Even when I release it doesn't quiet." She reached back blindly and dug her nails into Bo's forearm. "Oh God, please just fuck me. Make me come. I need it so much. I hurt."

Bo registered a warning somewhere in her clouded brain, but the frenzy hit too fast for her to pay attention. She rocketed to her knees and pushed deep between Nadia's legs. Slick blazing muscles gripped her fingers. She found the thickened internal ridge that connected directly to Nadia's clitoris and massaged it with each stroke. The deep-seated sex glands were hard as stones. Nadia panted and moaned, clawing at the mattress as she struggled to crest.

"Harder, oh God, I am so close and I can't…"

"Massage your clit," Bo growled. Nadia's hand flew between her legs. Bo fondled Nadia's breasts. "That's right. That's good. Keep doing that." Sweat matted Bo's hair and her stomach muscles spasmed. Her glands were about to burst. She spread her legs and crushed her clitoris against Nadia's tight ass. Groaning, she pounded them both to the edge. Her sex glands throbbed viciously. They'd empty soon.

"It's coming," Bo gasped. "It's coming."

Nadia drove herself up and down on Bo's hand and frantically manipulated her clitoris. "Help me. Help me. Make me come."

Bo wrapped her arm around Nadia, jerked her up against her chest, and sank her teeth into Nadia's shoulder. The dominant bite flooded Nadia with pheromones and spiked her release. Bo spent when Nadia cried out, pleasure pain ripping her apart.

Long moments later, they collapsed. Bo shuddered as she lay protectively over Nadia's back. Nadia made contented sounds when Bo stroked her arms and turned her face for Bo's kisses.

"All right now?" Bo nibbled gently on Nadia's swollen lower lip, then licked the spot.

"Mmm." Obviously struggling to stay awake, Nadia flicked her tongue over Bo's neck. "You need more?"

Bo chuckled. "If I do, I'll be back."

"Good." Nadia's lids fluttered closed.

Moving carefully, Bo eased from the bed and let herself out. Dawn was not far off. The summer heat had given way during the night to mountain coolness, and the chill felt good on her heated skin. Her craving had been eased, but want still rippled under her skin. Fortunately, she was close to her own quarters. She needed a cold shower and a few hours' sleep. But first, she needed to check on the Alpha. Ashley had remained at the Compound instead of returning to her own den after their run, and Aiden and Alex were standing guard.

She retrieved her clothes, along with her phone clipped to the waistband of her cargo pants, from the bench where she'd left them earlier and hastily dressed. If Ashley had needed her, she would have reached her mind-to-mind. And if the Alpha had been in danger, she would have sensed that no matter where she was. The only thing that could have pulled her from her sex frenzy would have been Ashley's call.

The Compound was waking, and Bo nodded to sentries heading to their stations, adolescents making their noisy way to the mess hall, and a number of mated pairs emerging naked from the forest after an early morning run. Bo acknowledged the mates in passing but was careful not to let her gaze linger. Skin was as natural a covering to the Weres as their pelts, and nudity was ignored other than for the appreciative glance of one healthy animal to another—providing the Were being "appreciated" was unmated. Mated pairs were sexually exclusive, aggressively territorial, and violently possessive. Even a nondominant Were would attack a dominant if he or she felt the mate bond was threatened. And a dominant Were in mating frenzy could not be contained short of death—logic and reason giving way to the far more powerful and primitive instinct to preserve the mate bond.

Bo vaulted up the steps to the main lodge and crossed the broad porch. The entrance opened into a grand hall, with the library and Pack archives on one side and the gathering room with a huge stone fireplace, sofas, and chairs on the other. Ashley could often be found there when she wasn't in her office on the second floor. Alex stood guard at the top of the sweeping, central wooden staircase. Aiden was just outside the closed, carved double doors of Ashley's office. When Bo reached the second-floor balcony that circled the grand hall below, she motioned for them to follow down the hall and away from Ashley's door.

"Has she slept?" Bo asked.

"No," Aiden grumbled. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared as he surveyed Bo. "Looks like you didn't either."

"Jealous?" Bo grinned, knowing both Aiden and Alex could scent her pheromones and traces of Nadia's. Because she and Nadia weren't mate bonded, she didn't carry the unique third scent—the chemical fusion of two Weres' hormonal signatures that branded them as a pair for life.

"Damn right," Aiden snarled. Alex grimaced in agreement.

Bo looked them both over, picking up on something other than the usual sexual rivalry that was natural among unmated dominants. She remembered how she'd felt after the run with Ashley, a craving so intense she'd been nearly mindless. Aiden and Alex would have borne the full force of Ashley's pheromones while they guarded her, since there were no other Weres around to help absorb it. Alex's grey eyes were wolf-flecked and her skin was sex-sheened. Aiden had an admirable bulge in his jeans.

"I'll get Dyson over here," Bo said. "We'll stand guard. You two go find someone to tangle with."

"I'm fine," Alex snapped, clearly insulted that Bo was relieving her from her post.

"So am I." Aiden's canines lengthened.

Bo growled, pushing into their space, making them both back up. They were compatriots, but there could be only one leader where Ashley's safety was concerned, and she was Ashley's second. "I need your heads clear or you won't be fit to guard the Alpha. Now go before I make you go."

Silence fell while Bo stared them down.

"You're right." Aiden shrugged and grinned, his grin the only concession to Bo's supremacy. "The craving is riding me harder than usual."

Alex shivered. "I thought it was just me. I'm so hungry Aiden is starting to look good."

Aiden laughed. They were close friends but both too dominant to tangle. He tried to put her in a headlock. Alex blocked his arm and punched him in the stomach. Aiden laughed again and the tension broke.

Bo's warning bells were ringing even louder. Nadia had said the same thing. _The craving's been riding me so hard for two_ _days_. She threw her arms around their shoulders. Aiden brushed his cheek over hers. Alex leaned her head on Bo's chest. "Take a few hours to settle your wolves. Ashley isn't going anywhere today. I'll call you if I need you."

Aiden and Alex reluctantly left and Bo called Dyson to stand guard. Then she knocked on Ashley's door.

"Alpha?"

"Come."

Ashley's office was lined with bookshelves on one side, another stone fireplace taking up the entire opposite wall, and a bay of floor-to-ceiling windows behind her desk on the far side of the room. The roughhewn plank floors were covered with thick earth-toned rugs, and a pair of forest green leather chairs sat in front of her dark cherrywood desk.

Ashley leaned back in a heavy wood and leather desk chair, a laptop computer in front of her. She'd donned a plain white cotton shirt and rolled the sleeves up, but hadn't bothered to button it. The sweeping muscles of her chest and soft inner curves of her breasts glowed with a fine pheromone mist in the dim lamplight. Her eyes were more wolf-gold than brown. A rush of sex and power hit Bo so hard her sex contracted painfully. Ashley's tussle with her earlier, the run, the hunt, might have been enough to blunt Ashley's needs, but she was Alpha, and required more than just that vigorous physical release to vent the hormones cascading through her. No wonder Aiden and Alex had been suffering. Bo had been well satisfied with Nadia, but Ashley's call had her in desperate need of more. She couldn't believe the Alpha wasn't close to feral with frenzy.

"How's Kyla?" Bo asked, her throat dry and raspy.

"She's not awake yet," Ashley grated.

"Fever?"

"Not the last time I checked."

"That's good." Bo considered diplomacy and then decided that was last thing Ashley needed from her. "You either need to stay in your den or take someone to bed."

Ashley stood abruptly. The top button of her low-cut jeans was open, the etched muscles in her stomach tense and tight. A line of black glinted in the cleft between her rigid abdominals. "I don't remember asking your counsel, _Imperator_."

Bo's pulse spiked at the edge in her Alpha's voice, but she stood her ground. "You're broadcasting to everyone in scent distance. The guards can't concentrate. I'm concerned for your safety." At Ashley's furious expression, Bo spread her arms. "I just walked in the room and the only thing I can think about is finding a female."

"Assign mated guards, then."

"None of the _centuri_ are mated, you know that, Alpha." Bo sucked in a breath, forcing down the craving beginning to blur the edges of her reason. "Even you won't be able to function efficiently much longer without release. If you don't want any of the Pack, I will—"

"_No_." Ashley cleared the desk in one fluid leap, barely restraining her urge to take Bo to the floor as she landed inches from her. After her run with Bo, she'd headed directly to her office because it was the closest place to sequester herself. Her helplessness over Kyla had left her with an uncontrollable need to dominate, an instinctive need to reestablish her claim as protector and assert her leadership over the Pack. She craved a female under her, submitting to her will. Her system was primed, broadcasting her dominance, and any unmated Were who crossed her path would attempt to submit to her. She wasn't certain she could resist, and she did not want to tangle out of frustration and anger. She was the Alpha. She had to have enough control to lead the Pack no matter how great the pressure, how unrelenting the stress. She owed it to them. "You play a dangerous game, Bo."

"You call, Alpha." Bo pressed her open mouth to Ashley's neck and licked her, tasting the primal forest thick with sweet pine and dark passions. She quivered, her instinct to submit warring with her natural dominance. Her sex pulsed with readiness, and she moaned, rubbing against Ashley's bare torso. She pressed her palm to Ashley's abdomen, claws extruded. "I answer. I am not playing."

Ashley closed her eyes, shivering with the heat of Bo's mouth gliding over her throat. Bo's claws pricked her skin and her nipples tightened. Her sex flooded, her clitoris swelled, and in another second, she would take Bo. They would both regret it, not because what they might do would be unnatural, but because it would destroy their natural order. She skimmed both hands over Bo's shoulders and down her arms, then gently pushed Bo away. "Leave me. Now. Go."

Bo's hazel eyes were glazed, her skin flushed and sex-shimmering. "I willingly submit. Please."

"No, you don't," Ashley snarled. "Leave me."

Ashley reached around Bo, yanked open the heavy doors, and shoved her out into the hall. After slamming and locking the door, she leapt to the lead-paned windows behind her desk, flung them open, and threw herself through. Her wolf landed soundlessly and in an instant had left the Compound, and temptation, behind.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Dr. Carlin?" The ER charge nurse knocked softly on Spencer's call room door. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," Spencer replied gruffly. They'd cleared the board of patients shortly after four a.m. and she'd retreated to her on-call room. She didn't expect to sleep, but she needed the solitude to sort through her riotous feelings. She couldn't get the episode with Ashley Davies out of her mind. Whenever she recalled the ferocious way Ashley had attacked Kyla's wound, as if she could defeat the injury through sheer force of will, Spencer shuddered with excitement. She understood the physiology of an adrenaline high—she'd experienced it frequently after an intense life-and-death struggle. And those few moments in that cubicle surrounded by the unbridled aggression of the Weres, particularly the Were Alpha, had been some of the most exhilarating moments of her life. What she couldn't so easily explain was how sexually aroused the episode had left her.

Hours later, the image of Ashley's eyes glowing wolf-gold and the gleam of lethal canines against her sensuous lips made Spencer's clit quicken. Lying alone in the dark, she couldn't deny her arousal and she couldn't pretend ignorance of the source. Ashley Davies fascinated her—beautiful, powerful, viciously aggressive, exquisitely tender. Spencer shifted restlessly, so agitated even her skin was hypersensitive.

"Spencer?" the nurse asked again.

Spencer bolted upright. God, she needed to get control of herself. "Yes. I'm sorry. I'm coming." Running her hands quickly through her hair and checking to be sure that her scrub shirt was tucked into her jeans, she pulled open the door. "Problem?"

Sasha Miller glanced worriedly down the hall. "A Detective Foster is asking for you. I told her you weren't available, but she insisted on speaking to you now. Said it couldn't wait until end of shift. I'm sorry."

"That's all right," Spencer said. "Where is she? I'll talk to her."

"I put her in the private waiting room."

"Okay. If you need me, come and get me." Spencer stopped in the small kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee, then walked to the far end of the L-shaped ER to the family consultation room. It was nothing more than an exam room that had been converted, by adding a round table and a few chairs, into a place where staff could speak with families of seriously ill patients. The walls were still institutional gray, the floors a nondescript patterned tile, the lights inset square fluorescents. Harsh, bare, and barren. Definitely not a warm and cheery place. The woman waiting for her looked right at home. Her face—though flawlessly featured with delicately arched brown brows over midnight eyes, narrow nose, and elegantly refined bones—appeared as cold and emotionless as a magnificently carved marble statue.

"Spencer Carlin," Spencer said, extending her hand. "I'm one of the ER attendings."

"Detective Stef Foster," the woman said, rising to return the handshake. She was dressed in tight, tailored black pants that shimmered with some kind of metallic thread woven into the fabric, a body-hugging dark silk shirt, and black leather blazer. A round gold shield glinted at her narrow waist. Her fingers were long, strong, and cool.

"Coffee?" Spencer lifted an eyebrow toward the cup she held in her hand. "I have to say, it's pretty bad."

"No, thank you."

Spencer pulled out a straight-backed plain wooden chair and sat down across from the detective. She spoke to hundreds of people every week and considered herself very good at reading nonverbal cues. She couldn't get a thing from this woman who sat absolutely still, appraising her. She might have been looking at a painting. She sipped her coffee and waited.

"I'm investigating a report of a stabbing in Washington Park around ten p.m. last evening," the detective finally said. "I understand you treated a girl for a stab wound about that time."

"Your information isn't quite correct, Detective," Spencer replied, thinking furiously. She hadn't filled out any paperwork because she hadn't actually treated Kyla. She wasn't certain why the police were involved, but instinctively, she wanted to protect not only Kyla, but Ashley Davies. The reaction didn't make any sense, but she trusted her gut feelings. "I did not treat anyone with a stab wound earlier. What's this all about?"

The detective leaned forward, resting her arms on the table and folding her hands. Her voice was perfectly modulated, calm, and seemingly unperturbed. "What's your relationship with Ashley Davies?"

"I'm sorry. If I had a relationship with Ms. Davies, I don't think it would be anyone's business. But I'm afraid I don't know her."

"You're not acquainted?"

"Not personally, no."

Detective Foster pushed a folded newspaper that had been lying next to her right arm across the table. With one efficient flip of her finger, she opened it to the front page. "This says otherwise."

The photo above the fold on the front page of the Sacramento Observer, the local version of the National Enquirer, showed Kyla lying on a stretcher in the examining room with Spencer holding her down. In profile, Ashley Davies, with canines gleaming, snarled in rage at Spencer. The headline in 50-point block letters read: WERE COUNCILOR LOSES COOL—ANIMAL REGULATION, NOT RIGHTS?

"Jesus," Spencer muttered.

"Would you like to amend your story?" the detective asked in her preternaturally calm voice. Preternaturally calm.

Classically beautiful. Emotionally enigmatic. Cool. _Literally_.

Spencer took her time studying the detective, who stared back at her with a faint smile, her eyes fathomless obsidian pools. Finally, Spencer said, "Foster. You hear that name in the news a lot these days. I don't suppose by any wild chance you're related to…"

"Councilor Frank Foster is my father," Stef said.

Frank Foster was the U.S. Special Councilor on Vampire Affairs. Ashley Davies's counterpart in the Praetern Coalition.

"Does that make you a friend or foe?" Spencer asked, nodding to the newspaper.

"That makes me a detective. Did the girl have Were fever?"

Spencer glanced at her watch. 5:50. The sun was up. She didn't know this detective and had no reason to trust her, but she couldn't control her automatic surge of concern. "Shouldn't you…uh…be somewhere safer?"

Detective Foster smiled, a full smile that turned her from simply beautiful into breathtakingly spectacular. "I'm not dead, Dr. Carlin. Exposure to direct sunlight gives me a headache and occasionally makes me nauseous. But it doesn't kill me within a matter of minutes. It won't—not until I animate."

"So you're—forgive me if I use the wrong term—a living Vampire?"

"We prefer the term pre-animate, but basically, yes." Stef tapped the newspaper. "The adolescent in the photograph. She's a Were, correct?"

"Yes," Spencer said. "Look, I really didn't treat her. I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Have you seen any other adolescents with Were fever within the last few months?"

"No. You should know as well as I they rarely seek emergency care."

"These wouldn't be Weres," Stef said, with the first sign of emotion flashing in her eyes. "These would be humans."


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"What do you mean, humans?" Spencer asked. The chill coming off the detective sitting across from her made the hairs on the backs of her arms stand up. If she hadn't seen the fire flickering in the Vampire's eyes a moment before, she would have thought her totally without emotion. The truth was completely the opposite—Spencer finally understood what was meant by _cold fury_. She also appreciated for the first time that she was in a closed room with a predator. One just as deadly as a Were and not likely to give any warning before she struck. Spencer kept her gaze steady on the detective's, ready to move if she had to.

"I don't bite," Stef said softly. "Unless invited."

Spencer made an effort to relax her shoulders. It wasn't easy. Some primitive focus deep in her brain was flooding her with enough flight hormones to make her entire body quiver. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to be. You are surprisingly sensitive for a human, but I still should have better control."

"Any better control and I really would think you were dead."

Stef's expression went completely blank, and then she laughed. The transformation was as breathtaking as the sunrise. Spencer felt herself smiling, warming inside, as if she'd received an unexpected gift. She wanted to make her smile again, and dimly recognized that she didn't usually react this way, no matter how beautiful the woman. Predators often lulled their prey before striking—could Vampires do the same?

"Tell me about the girl," Stef said.

Spencer shook her head, as much to clear it as to signal she wasn't going to answer without more information. "You first. Why would a human have Were fever?"

"You should ask your Were medic that. Lauren, isn't it?"

"Yes." Spencer wasn't going to volunteer anything. While the detective was admittedly charming when she let down her formidable guard, Spencer didn't know what she was after. Foster was subtly interrogating her, that much was clear, but Spencer didn't think she was the target of the detective's suspicions. She couldn't help feeling that the Were Alpha was somehow the one Foster was after, and her immediate response was to shield her. She wasn't reacting at all like herself, which was all the more reason to be careful of what she said.

Stef Foster reached inside her leather blazer and came out with a plain white card embossed with her name and telephone number, which she placed squarely in front of Spencer. "Call me if you see or hear of an adolescent female, Were or human, with Were fever."

"What about patient confidentiality?"

"It's a communicable disease," Stef replied. "You have an obligation to report it."

"I've never seen any official communiqué from the International Institute of Health or the Center for Communicable Diseases classifying it as such." Spencer desperately wanted to know what she might be facing with this disease, because the ER was a battlefield, the front line where every minute could make the difference between life and death. She wouldn't be forced to stand helplessly on the sidelines while patients died because she didn't know how to treat them. This detective obviously knew something, and Spencer didn't intend to be played. "Without that, my hands are tied."

"You'll have to trust me when I tell you that you'll be saving more than just the life of a single patient if you call me with anything you learn."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I have everything to lose. I and every other member of the Praetern races."

Spencer immediately thought of Ashley and her apprehension escalated. How big was this problem? "What are you saying?"

"Can you conceive of what it means for an entire species to suddenly be vulnerable, overnight"—Stef said with quiet lethality—"to mass genocide?"

Even as recently as the day before, Spencer would have answered yes. Intellectually, she understood that the Praetern races had taken a big chance when they'd emerged from the shadows, risking that the humans who vastly outnumbered them would accept them despite their differences. Even though she'd seen the subtle prejudice directed at Lauren, she hadn't truly appreciated the extent of human distrust until she'd tried to aid Kyla and Ashley. Then _she_ had been the target of suspicious looks and quiet disdain. The Weres _were_ different—admittedly frightening—and yet so powerfully compelling. What kind of pressure must Ashley feel to protect her Pack? Spencer had given even less thought to the plight of the other Praeterns, all of whom seemed on the surface so much more like humans than the Weres, with their animal shapes and predatory natures. And no one really knew what to think about the Vampires. If they were dead, what claim did they have to any rights at all?

"No, I _can't _know what it means for any of you," Spencer replied. "And it's precisely because I can't that I don't want to inadvertently endanger anyone."

"It's too late for that, Dr. Carlin. We're all in danger now." Stef Foster stood and pointed to the card. "If humans come to realize that Were fever is not only untreatable and lethal, but also that they are at risk, there will be open hunting on Weres."

"I'm curious," Spencer said, pocketing the detective's card. "Why come to me? Why trust me with this?"

"Because I saw your picture in the newspaper." Stef's mouth flickered with a half-mocking smile. "And you had your bare hands on that young female's shoulders, inches away from her face. If she was infected and had bitten you, you might be dead by now. Her Alpha might easily have killed you on the spot just for touching her. But you tried to help her anyhow."

She shrugged, a gesture so eloquent Spencer felt an involuntary twinge of arousal. This Vampire was the most effortlessly seductive woman she'd ever seen. Something in her response must have registered with Stef, because for the briefest instant, her eyes flamed crimson. Spencer felt a tug in her belly.

"I'm a medic. I was doing my job," Spencer said, steadfastly ignoring the heat kindling in the pit of her stomach.

"Then I have to believe you'll keep doing it. I didn't agree with my father when he supported the Exodus. I think he has placed our people in unconscionable danger by exposing us. But I didn't get a vote, and now it's done." Stef stopped with her hand on the door, her eyes flaring as she fixed on Spencer. "It doesn't matter which species is the first target of a purge, the other Praetern races will fall. First the Weres—then the Vampires. Then the witches and the sorcerers and the farsighted and the telepaths. Which are you, Doctor—friend or foe?" Her voice dropped, grew smoky and smooth. "I'd like it to be friend."

Spencer became breathless, trapped in a vortex of incredible power that caressed the very center of her being. The detective's gaze probed her mind and laid claim to her body. Heat flooded her senses and she ached for those long cool fingers on her flesh. Hungered for a touch, eager to be devoured. She saw Stef's parted lips flush crimson, the tip of her moist tongue just visible between blinding white incisors. Spencer longed for that mouth on her. Every instinct pulled her forward, urged her to sink into the abyss of immeasurable pleasure. Struggling not to go to her, Spencer gripped the table and her hand brushed the newspaper to the edge. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ashley Davies's face in the photograph—fierce, predatory, proud. She shuddered, clinging to that image as she fought the Vampire's compulsion.

"Stop it," Spencer whispered.

Almost instantly the agonizingly erotic grip on her senses released, and Spencer sagged as if loosed from a powerful undertow. To Spencer's surprise, Stef was breathing as hard as she was. Stef grimaced as if the loss of their connection pained her, and her incisors flashed faintly. Spencer still felt like prey, but not in the usual sense. The Weres might be natural predators, but the Vampires were sexual ones. She'd just been hunted, and had barely escaped.

"It's never wise to lie to the police," Stef murmured. "Whatever Ashley Davies is to you, it's much more than an acquaintance." She opened the door. "I'll be waiting for your call."


	11. Chapter 11

Hello All I'm in a really good mood so I decided to post two more chapters today. Much love to everyone who reviews, favorites, and follows this story. Enjoy

TViator: Yes! I love the midnight hunters series. I have read all the books and pre-ordered to next book coming out in March :) I am going to follow the story pretty closely. And you guessed it I love Doccubus I had to but them in here somewhere haha

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley followed the river south, slipping through the underbrush along its banks like a sliver of moonlight flickering among the shadows. Her _centuri_ would follow her trail, but they would be long minutes behind her. Her powerful muscles bunched as her legs swept over the ground in huge bounding strides. She tasted the morning on her tongue, felt the wind ruffle through her pelt. Rabbit and deer scattered at her approach, but she was not hunting. She was running. Running to burn the heat from her blood and the frenzy from her loins. Running until the exhaustion dampened desire and clarity eclipsed instinct. She ran, even though she knew her quest was fruitless. She was Alpha, and as long as she breathed she would have one purpose—to lead and protect her Pack. Nothing short of death—not injury or fatigue or the clarion call of reason—would override that most primitive drive. But she ran nevertheless.

She reached McKinley Park at sunrise and made her way silently past the early morning joggers and dog walkers, warning off the canines with a subvocal growl that only they could hear. When she reached the deserted park facilities building, she shifted back to skin form. Then she keyed in a code on the side panel of a nondescript gray metal box about the size of an air-conditioning unit behind the building. The boxes were everywhere in the city, affixed to utility sheds, public works garages, electrical transformers, and water processing plants—just one more mechanical unit that faded into the background for the myriad workers who passed dozens of similar ones every day. She sorted through the small cache of clothes inside and removed a navy blue T-shirt and jeans. Since she wasn't rushed as she had been the previous evening, she took the time to pull out a pair of plain black loafers. After dressing, she punched in some codes on the electronic menu inside the door. The information would be logged in at Davies Industries, and one of her employees would replace the items within twenty-four hours for the next Were who found themselves in need of clothing.

She started walking through the park toward the capitol complex with the intention of going to the office. After a few minutes, she veered right on Alhambra Boulevard instead. Her body felt pleasantly loose and limber after her thirty-mile journey and she wasn't looking forward to being caged in an office and tethered to a desk. And she was hungry. She was also penniless and without her phone. Bo would be very unhappy. Her options were limited, and since she didn't want to wait for her guards, one of whom would be following in the Rover, she decided to try her luck at catching Lauren at the hospital. She didn't think the young medic would mind taking her to breakfast.

Most Weres could disappear in plain sight, having a predator's natural ability to move without stirring the air, and she was far better than most. No one paid any attention to her when she followed a group of nurses through the double doors separating the waiting area from the rest of the emergency room. She scented another Were at the far end of the hall, but it wasn't Lauren. A young male. He stepped out from a cubicle, holding an X-ray plate under his arm. He stared in her direction, his expression questioning and uncertain. When she shook her head, he ducked his and hurriedly disappeared back behind the curtain.

Ashley registered another scent, one she recognized, and not one that should have caused her pulse to race. Human. Female. Her thinking brain told her to turn around and leave, but her instinct urged her to follow the scent. She found Spencer Carlin sitting at a small table in an otherwise empty room. Ashley stepped inside and closed the door.

"Good morning," Ashley said.

Spencer leaned back in her chair and smiled ruefully. "I don't know about good, but it's been one hell of a morning so far."

"What did the Vampire want?" Ashley demanded, unaccountably angry that Spencer had been in close contact with a very powerful Vampire with very powerful desires. "Besides you?"

"Okay," Spencer said, placing both hands flat on the table. "I've about had it with cryptic allusions and half-facts. And individuals who seem to know more about my business than I do. So it's someone else's turn to answer questions. What are _you_ doing here?"

Ashley folded her arms and leaned back against the door, unable to suppress a smile. She didn't derive any pleasure from instilling fear in others, but she was used to it. Apparently, Spencer was immune. Or as she had previously suspected, naïvely brave. "I was looking for Lauren."

"Oh," Spencer said, feeling foolishly disappointed and hoping her reaction wasn't apparent. Obviously the Were Alpha would want to talk to the Were medic, especially when it was clear from Detective Foster's questions that something serious was going on in the Were Pack. Just because _she_ had been thinking about Ashley most of the night didn't mean that the Were had given her a second thought. Maybe there was more to Ashley's relationship with Lauren than Lauren had let on. After all, it was six o'clock in the morning—an odd time for the Alpha to show up. "She's not here."

"I know." Ashley's jaw tightened and her face seemed to grow bolder, stronger, more intense. "Your turn. What did the Vampire want with you?"

"How do you know she was here?"

Ashley growled. "I know."

"How?"

"I can smell her all over this room." Ashley pushed off the wall and leaned over the table. "Will I smell her all over you?"

"And if you did?" Spencer's throat was suddenly dry. Ashley was so close Spencer could see the gold flecks in her chocolate brown eyes. She could smell her, too. Wild cinnamon and burnt pine. She probably should have been intimidated, but she wasn't. And she knew instinctively that backing down was the wrong thing to do with this Were. "What would that tell you?"

"Then I would know friend from foe."

"No, you wouldn't." Exasperated, Spencer stood up. She must have blinked because she didn't see Ashley move, but in the next instant, the Alpha was standing next to her. They were nearly the same height. For the second time in less than an hour, Spencer felt herself drawn in by a gaze, but this time, she welcomed the stirring in her blood. "Those terms have been going around a lot tonight. Friend. Foe. I don't even know the sides."

"Who was it? Maybe I can help you with that."

"Detective Stef Foster. And she was very interested in Kyla."

"Was she." Ashley sighed and backed away a step, needing the distance to temper her aggression. She had no reason to feel territorial about this human. Another indication that she was riding too close to the edge. She would have to do something about that, and soon.

"She asked me something else too," Spencer said. "If I'd seen any humans with Were fever."

"Have you?"

"Not that I know of." Spencer rubbed the back of her neck in frustration. "And that's a problem. I don't know anything. Lauren won't give me any information, because she says that's up to you." She looked into Ashley's eyes and immediately felt the pull—the wash of heat, the tightening in her depths, the stirring of excitement. She steadied herself, refusing to look away. Refusing to give in. "So I guess I need you to give me some answers. Because I don't care if it's a Were or a human, I intend to take care of the next one who comes in like Kyla."

"You don't know what you're letting yourself in for," Ashley said gruffly.

"Then why don't you explain it to me."

Ashley almost smiled, wondering if this human had any idea that she had just challenged her with her steady stare, her tone of voice, her posture. If she'd been a wolf, Ashley would have had her by the throat by now. As it was, she had to fight her wolf not to snarl and snap. Foolish brave human.

"I need breakfast." Ashley effortlessly vaulted the table, pulled open the door, and looked over her shoulder. "Join me."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley stepped into the hall where Bo and Dyson flanked the door, having positioned themselves to see anyone approaching from either direction. She'd scented their arrival a few minutes earlier. They must have run very hard to be only a few minutes behind her. For her the long distance had been a vigorous workout—for them it would have been exhausting. They would both need to eat soon.

"Alpha," Bo murmured. She and Dyson immediately crowded close to Ashley, brushing their bodies against her in welcome, seeking reassurance after their separation.

"_Centuri_." Ashley cupped the backs of their necks, caressing gently. "Who's in the Rover?"

"I had Vex bring it down," Bo said, referring to one of the young dominants whom they had begun considering as a centuri. "I can call Aiden and Alex if you need—" Bo stiffened as Spencer appeared next to Ashley.

"No need to call them." Ashley made room for Spencer, creating distance between them so Bo would not perceive Spencer as a threat to her. The centuri instinctively guarded the Alpha's personal space, not trusting anyone close to her except her mate. They wanted to be present when she had sex, but were forced to tolerate her being unguarded then because she insisted on privacy. She had no compunction in her guards seeing her naked or in the throes of sex frenzy. But she wanted her partners to feel some degree of intimacy, since she would not give them what many of them wanted: a bond. "Dr. Carlin and I are going to have breakfast. You two should do the same."

"We'll wait," Bo snapped, staring at Spencer. Dyson jerked his head in agreement.

"You'll both eat," Ashley said flatly and turned to Spencer. "Where would you recommend?"

"There's a place right down the street. The Recovery Room."

"Let's go." Ashley headed off and Spencer matched her long stride.

"Your guards are unhappy," Spencer said.

"They're too protective."

"Do they have reason to be?"

Ashley shot her a glance. "Why are you so curious?"

"You interest me."

"Really?" Ashley's brows rose. "Why is that? Or do you just have an unnatural fascination for animals?"

"Is that how you see yourself? An animal?" Spencer stepped through the double doors out into the morning. She saw Ashley take a breath as if testing the air, her eyes scanning the street in all directions. Wary. Guarded. Inborn, instinctive movements.

"In my heart, I am a wolf. What would you call me?"

"I'd call you a Were." They came to the end of the ER turnaround and Spencer touched Ashley's bare arm to direct her. Hard muscles rippled beneath her fingertips. Ashley's skin was hot and unexpectedly silken, almost as if covered in invisible fur. Spencer slid her fingers up and down without thinking. Ashley tensed, and from very close behind her, Spencer heard a growl. Bo. Irrationally, Spencer wanted to ignore the warning—she wanted to keep caressing that velvet steel. Good sense prevailed, and she reluctantly removed her hand. "The diner's down this way."

Laughing quietly, Ashley asked, "Why aren't you intimidated?"

"She's letting me know that if I threaten you, she'll hurt me, right?"

"Yes." Ashley hid her surprise. She hadn't expected the touch, and she definitely never expected to like it. Ordinarily she would not allow a stranger so deep into her personal space, and she would never have tolerated even casual contact. But Spencer's hand on her arm hadn't felt foreign or threatening. Spencer's slowly stroking fingers had seemed to caress her deeper than skin. "Doesn't her aggression bother you? It does most humans."

"Could she stop her reaction if you told her to?"

"No. She's my second, the highest-ranking wolf in my Pack. Her strongest drive is to protect me. She can't do anything other than be who she is."

"Then it doesn't bother me." Spencer slid her palm along Ashley's forearm. "Here's the diner."

Ashley glanced down at Spencer's hand on her arm. "You don't want to tempt her."

"You're right, I don't." Spencer wasn't sure what she was doing. She had no desire to antagonize Bo, but she resented being warned away from Ashley. "I trust you to let her know that I'm completely harmless."

Ashley held the door for Spencer. "I never lie to my wolves."

Grinning, Spencer followed Ashley inside. The long railroad car–style diner was half full of people in hospital attire. Ashley asked for a corner booth, and after she and Spencer slid in, Bo and Dyson took the one across the aisle. Ashley's guards sat on opposite sides of the table, at the outer edge of the bench seats where they could quickly step into the aisle and block access to her.

"Does it ever bother you?" Spencer asked. "The constant company, the…surveillance."

Ashley shook her head. "From the time we're young, we're surrounded by Pack. The pups sleep in piles. They nurse from any lactating female. Any Were in the Pack will protect any young, regardless of who whelped them. We're all connected. To be isolated would kill us."

"Do you mean that literally?"

Ashley grew very still, so still that Spencer actually had trouble seeing her, as if somehow she were no longer sitting across from her. The Alpha had gone to ground.

"How many Were medics do you have like Lauren working in the human health system?" Spencer asked, trying a different tack.

"Why do you ask?" Ashley replied.

"Because—" Spencer paused to order breakfast from the middle-aged waitress who plunked heavy white ceramic mugs brimming with dark, oily-looking coffee down in front of them without being asked. When the waitress moved across the aisle to take Bo and Dyson's orders, she continued. "If it's as few as I think, then it's not enough to take care of any substantial medical crisis."

"We don't, as a rule, require medical care." Ashley tried the coffee. "This, however, could be lethal."

Laughing, Spencer took a sip. "Lauren says caffeine doesn't do anything to you."

"She may never have tried this coffee."

Spencer leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Why are the police asking about humans with Were fever? I don't remember reading anything about it in med—" She grimaced. "Well, of course I wouldn't have learned anything about it in medical school, because no one knew anything about _any_ of the Praeterns until just recently."

"Were fever is very rare, even among Weres."

"What is it, exactly?"

Ashley considered her response while the waitress set plates of food in front of them. Spencer was right—they did not have many Were medics. Before the Exodus, the Were medics worked in secrecy to cover up the uncommon instance when a Were was brought into an emergency room for care. Most often, this happened when a Were was involved in an accident or an altercation that led to police involvement. The police and emergency service personnel routinely brought the injured to the emergency room, but unfortunately, a Were was likely to heal their injuries halfway through treatment. Every wolf Were carried a health card that, when scanned into any database anywhere in the world, would alert a central clearing station at Davies Industries. A Were medic would be sent to intervene. Feral cat, rodent, and other less common Weres did not interact with the human population enough for accidental discovery to be a problem.

If she was facing an outbreak of Were fever, she would not have enough medics to cover it up. And if humans somehow became infected, it would be disastrous. Even so, she couldn't risk revealing too much. Until she understood exactly how widespread the problem was, she wasn't going to expose her Pack and all the other Weres to retaliation.

"Anything I could tell you would be meaningless to you."

"Look," Spencer said, "we're the largest medical center in the region. Any case that looks out of the ordinary is going to be turfed to us from the local hospitals. If I know what to look for, I can triage. Start early treatment. I'll call your medics, if you want me to."

"We don't know what it is," Ashley said, hoping that the appearance of cooperation would quell Spencer's concerns. "We only know what it does. It kills nearly a hundred percent of the time, and quickly. Once the fever starts, it escalates within hours—sometimes even faster. We don't know if the fever is the cause of the cellular breakdown or the consequence, but most of the infected suffer system-wide collapse. Seizures, bleeding, endocrine storm."

"And those who don't succumb immediately?"

"Almost all become rabid and eventually die too." Spencer frowned. "What's the cause of death if not the cellular breakdown?"

Ashley's eyes narrowed, the auburn shifting to gold. She pictured Kyla, struggling alone, while she stood by doing nothing. Her wolf clawed at her insides, raging at her impotence. "We execute them."

"Jesus Christ," Spencer whispered. "Who decides that?"

"I do."

Spencer breathed out slowly, trying to wrap her mind around the idea of killing a sick patient. Not just a patient, someone who was like family. She wouldn't have the guts.

"Still think we're not animals, Doctor?" Ashley asked bitterly. She wasn't sure why the shocked expression on Spencer's face bothered her so much. She didn't expect a human to understand the threat of a rabid wolf to the Pack. She wasn't even sure why she tried to explain.

"I think we need to find a cure," Spencer said vehemently, surprising Ashley yet again.

"Don't you think we're trying?" Ashley snapped. "Seventy-five percent of the resources at Davies Industries go to this research." Her frustration broadcast and Bo rose abruptly, stepping toward them with a rumble. Ashley raised her hand a fraction and telegraphed,_ Stand down, Imperator. All is well. _

Bo rumbled again and slowly returned to her seat.

"Of course, I'm sorry." Spencer rubbed the back of her neck. "What about humans? Similar symptoms?"

Ashley said nothing, in total agreement when her wolf howled a warning. Some things the humans could not know, because if they did, they would surely try to destroy her and all like her.

"Should you suspect you have a case of Were fever, I and the King High Timberwolf Pack will be in your debt if you call us before you do the police." Ashley stood, telegraphing Bo to get the bill. "I appreciate your desire to help us, Dr. Carlin, but I'm afraid you can't."

Spencer rose as Bo put money on the table. She met Ashley's eyes. "Thank you for breakfast. I'll get it the next time."

"I'm afraid there won't be another time." Ashley watched Bo and Dyson pacing agitatedly nearby. Her wolf was so close to the surface, so ready to fight, she was in danger of driving her guards to lose control. She was out of time. "Good-bye, Doctor."


	13. Chapter 13

This one is** rated M**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley and Bo climbed into the Rover's rear cargo compartment. Dyson got in front next to Vex, a wiry blond male just out of his teens who sat behind the wheel. Ashley leaned forward between the front seats. "Drive to Gray."

"Yes, Alpha," Vex said crisply and edged away from the curb into early morning traffic.

"There aren't enough of us to protect you there." Bo's displeasure filled the too-small space.

"It's daylight. Madison is the only one who will be awake." Ashley glanced out the tinted window and saw Spencer Carlin on the sidewalk in front of the diner, watching them pull away. Her wolf stirred, growling softly as if telling her she had unfinished business. Ashley ignored the tug in her groin. She'd take care of that her way. Her wolf snarled.

"First the human, now this," Bo snapped. "You take chances, Alpha. We can't afford to lose—"

Ashley bounded across the small space. If she didn't know how close Bo was to breaking, she would have forced Bo onto her back, under her. Instead, she grabbed her and pulled her close, tucking Bo's head beneath her chin. "Everything will be fine."

Bo rubbed her cheek against Ashley's neck, breathing deeply. "At least let me come with you."

"No." Ashley stroked Bo's hair. "I trust you with my life, with the lives of our young. Trust me on this."

"Always, Alpha," Bo whispered.

* * *

Club Gray, a one-story, flat-roofed building with opaque black windows and flat black paint on its plywood front, sat on the waterfront in the middle of a cracked concrete parking lot with foot-tall weeds growing in the crevices. During the day, the place appeared abandoned despite a few cars and motorcycles parked haphazardly in the enormous lot. It didn't look much better at night, when a few spotlights tucked under the eaves threw just enough light to point the way to the front door. No flashing neon signs indicated that this was the most popular nighttime hangout in the city for Vampires, their blood hosts, and other beings, human and otherwise, looking for sex or more dangerous thrills. When Ashley walked into the murky interior, a couple of human bikers in dirty denim and dusty leather perched on stools at the bar, drinking beer at eight in the morning. The bartender was Madison's human servant—a balding ex-professional wrestler named Bruce. He wore a leather vest over bare skin to show off the tats that covered his chest and arms, but mostly to display the puncture marks in his neck and nipples. Madison or whoever she'd most recently loaned him out to had been very hungry and Bruce was obviously proud of his service—the Vampire who had fed from him would have healed the punctures unless Bruce had requested that they not.

"She's busy," Bruce grunted. Like many Vampires, he didn't care for Weres. The two predatory species disagreed as to who was at the top of the food chain. Vampires liked feeding from Weres, claiming that the Weres' wild blood gave the Vamps a greater high and triggered more intense orgasms than human blood. Some Vampires seemed to think that made Weres prey. Considering that Weres were the only species that could tear a Vampire's heart out bare-handed, Ashley didn't think so.

"Tell her I'm coming down." Ashley didn't break stride as she leapt over the bar and into the alcove behind it. By the time she reached the hidden staircase to Madison's lair, Bruce must have communicated with the Mistress of the City, because Ashley heard the faint hiss of multiple locks sliding open. Ashley shouldered through the door and loped down the stairs into the elaborate chambers below. The door locked behind her.

Like all master Vampires, Madison did not become catatonic during daylight hours and could usually be found at work or play in her suite beneath the club. The door to her private quarters slid open and a naked man and woman exited. The woman sagged against the man, who stumbled slightly as the pair turned and staggered away down the hall. Both wore a glazed look that Ashley assumed was related to the fresh punctures in their necks. Madison had been feeding, to their obvious pleasure.

Madison lounged on a divan in the sitting room adjoining her boudoir. Like all Vampires, she was slender and painfully beautiful, with an etched porcelain air of delicacy that belied her incredible strength. Her full, rose-tipped breasts were clearly visible and barely contained beneath a diaphanous dressing gown open down to her navel. Her lustrous eyes were deep turquoise, her auburn hair falling in artful tangles over bronze shoulders.

"What a nice surprise." Madison had closed the door to her bedchamber, but the blood scent was rich and fresh.

Ashley was not attracted to human blood or Vampire blood. She was there for one reason. Madison would willingly meet her most urgent needs, at least temporarily, and without the risk of developing any kind of attachment to her. Theirs was a mutually beneficial relationship completely devoid of emotional complication.

"I'm sorry I gave no notice."

"You've been very busy," Madison said, moving over to make room for Ashley on the maroon brocade divan. "It's been months since you've been by to visit."

"I'm sure Councilor Foster has kept you up to date on the proceedings," Ashley said. Frank Foster might be the official face representing the Vampires to the public, but Madison was not only the Chancellor of the local Vampire seethe, she was Viceregal of the Eastern Territory. Everyone in the Praetern Coalition acknowledged her as the power behind the throne. Ashley sprawled on the divan, stretching her arms out along the back. "I don't want to talk politics."

"Your timing is excellent," Madison murmured, dropping a black silk pillow with gold fringe on the floor between Ashley's spread thighs. She knelt on it and pushed Ashley's T-shirt up. "I was just feeding when you arrived." She looked up at Ashley as she opened Ashley's jeans, her lids languorous, her mouth curved in a sensuous smile. "But I hadn't finished. I've yet to satisfy my other needs." She leaned forward and ran her tongue over the ridges in Ashley's abdomen. A fine line of rich midnight black pelt erupted down the center of Ashley's lower abdomen and disappeared into her jeans. Madison teased the satiny line that marked a dominant Were when aroused or challenged.

"I see you're ready." Madison ran her nails over Ashley's belly and Ashley shuddered.

"Do it." Ashley raised her hips and Madison stripped her jeans down her legs. Her clitoris rose, engorged and stiff. She growled softly when Madison fingered it. Madison murmured approvingly as Ashley's sex glands, the firm nodes buried in the flesh framing her clitoris, swelled in response to her teasing.

"I can't ever remember these being so full." Madison massaged the glands with her fingertips, forcing Ashley's clitoris to jerk. Licking gracefully along the shaft, Madison sighed as if savoring rare ambrosia. "You're too ready for me to linger, I'm afraid."

"Don't." Ashley's claws extended. "Just drain me."

"Oh," Madison whispered. "I will."

Unhurriedly, Madison parted her crimson lips, giving Ashley a fleeting glimpse of her incisors, before she drew Ashley's clitoris deep into her mouth. Ashley tensed, steeling herself. With infinite care, Madison bit down on the rigid shaft and began to suck. Her incisors pressed the sex glands into the bone beneath.

Groaning, Ashley arched off the sofa, her claws gouging through the fabric into the wood frame. Each pull of Madison's powerful throat ripped the fire from her blood. Her sex beat heavily between Madison's lips, pumping her power down Madison's throat. The Vampire scored Ashley's midsection with scarlet nails. Ashley panted, struggling to contain her furious wolf as Madison pulled harder at her flesh, drinking her essence. This was not what her wolf craved but all she would permit. The physical relief was intense but not sexual—and as much pain as pleasure. Ashley never climaxed from Madison's ministrations, but she found some brief respite from the wild hunger that drove her. Enough so that her urges no longer threatened to plunge the Pack into chaos.

"More," Ashley gasped when Madison started to withdraw. Her clitoris was still rigid, her sex glands tight and aching. "Empty me."

Madison resumed sucking, shuddering as she absorbed the potent mixture of Were pheromones and sex kinins. A minute later, when Madison would have stopped, Ashley curled her hand around the back of Madison's neck, claws extended to hold her in place. She had to release the hormones overwhelming her system, and she didn't dare risk true release with another Were. The sex frenzy could too easily become mating frenzy, and she did not want to risk activating the mate bond. Only a Vampire as powerful as Madison could drain her enough to temper the heat. "_More_."

After what seemed like a long while, Ashley's clitoris softened and Ashley relaxed, lethargy suffusing her.

"Ashley," Madison sighed, her voice heavy with satisfaction. "Even you aren't strong enough for me to take more." She rose gracefully, parting her dressing gown along the split that ran up one side, and straddled Ashley's bare stomach. She was slick and hot against Ashley's skin, her clitoris a hard knot against Ashley's belly. Undulating slowly, Madison flicked her tongue over the pulsing vein in Ashley's neck. "Let me drink from you. Let me make you come."

"No," Ashley said, although she was almost too depleted to physically resist. She would never willingly submit to Madison, but if Madison fed from her, the hormones Madison secreted into the deep bite would make Ashley come whether she wanted to or not.

"I promise you pleasure." Madison lightly pierced Ashley's skin, the teasing bite reminiscent of a Were's during passion.

Ashley's clitoris tightened, but she could tolerate the stimulation now. She did not want sex, but she would not deny Madison, whose blood need after so much stimulation would be agonizing. Without blood a Vampire couldn't achieve ultimate release. "Taste me enough to satisfy yourself, but don't feed. Don't make me come."

"As you wish." Madison, exerting more control than any other Vampire could have managed, brought herself to the brink of orgasm on Ashley's stomach. Then with a quicksilver flash of incisors, she pierced Ashley's neck just deep enough to start a slow flow of blood. She did not feed fully, even when Ashley's Alpha blood sent her into wrenching orgasm. When her climax finally dwindled away, she licked the thin blood trail from Ashley's neck and murmured sluggishly, "Take me to bed. I must sleep now."

Ashley gently moved Madison aside and rose unsteadily. After zipping her jeans, she picked Madison up, cradled her to her chest, and carried her into the adjoining room. She placed her in the center of the huge circular bed and carefully covered her with a white sheet that bore crimson stains from Madison's earlier festivities. Then she turned off the ornate crystal lamp next to the bed. Madison would not waken until after dark.

Ashley made her way slowly back upstairs, her legs heavy. Her hands trembled as she checked to be sure that the door to Madison's lair had locked behind her. Bruce was Madison's only protection while she slumbered. Madison trusted Ashley with her life, just as Ashley had trusted Madison with hers.

"She shouldn't be disturbed," Ashley said as she passed the bar on her way out.

Bruce muttered something that sounded like _fucking_ _Were_ as she passed, but Ashley wasn't inclined to fight. She wanted to curl up and sleep for the short respite she had before the frenzy rose again.

Bo was waiting just outside the door. Her eyes went to Ashley's neck, where the bite marks were already fading. She didn't say anything as she opened the back door of the Rover and followed Ashley in. Ashley leaned her head against the sidewall and closed her eyes.

"Is there no other way?" Bo asked quietly.

"Not for me."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley woke with her face nestled against a firm, warm, naked abdomen. Fingers played through her hair. She scented safety, familiarity, Pack. Stretching, she registered another body pressed against her legs. The Rover passed over the sensors built into the Compound approach road, causing an ultra-high-pitched signal that alerted the sentries on the inner perimeter to an oncoming vehicle. Opening her eyes, Ashley smiled up at Bo. "Almost home."

"Mmm-hmm." Bo's hazel eyes were mellow, content. As soon as Ashley had fallen asleep, Bo's wolf had settled, reassured that the Alpha was secure. The awful tension twisting through her insides, howling of danger and threat, had abated. Even the sex frenzy that clawed at her for release was blessedly quiet. "How do you feel?"

"Good." Ashley clasped Bo's wrist and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. "Thank you."

Bo rumbled in pleasure.

Ashley sighed and caressed Dyson's shoulder where he rubbed against her thigh. Revitalized by her nap, her urges tempered by Madison's attentions, she assessed the looming dangers. Two young females had disappeared. Kyla had been attacked. Had that been an abduction attempt gone bad? Now a Vampire was asking a human medic about Were fever. Were fever and humans.

How would the human population react if news of this threat became widespread? At the very least, the negotiations in Washington would be seriously compromised, but politics were not her major concern right now. Forceful retaliation was. She doubted that many humans would be as sympathetic as Spencer Carlin appeared to be.

But would even Spencer take their side if she understood what was really at stake? Ashley remembered the intensity in Spencer's voice when she'd said, _We need to find a cure_. As if the fever were Spencer's problem as much as hers. She'd seen the frustration in Spencer's eyes when she had refused to confide in her. Frustration and disappointment. Ashley regretted turning aside Spencer's offer of help. Regretted turning her aside, although why that should be she wasn't sure. But she'd grown up protecting Pack secrets, and now she was responsible not just for secrets, but lives. She couldn't afford to trust anyone who wasn't Pack, even though her instincts told her that Spencer Carlin was different. Had Spencer been a Were, she would have had the makings of an Alpha. Fearless, focused, passionate. Ashley's skin still carried the memory of Spencer's touch. She had been right to put distance between them. Being around the human disturbed her focus, and too much was at stake for her to forget her purpose. She must protect her Pack.

Ashley's wolf stirred, not in warning but with a message Ashley couldn't identify. An unusual sensation. Excitement and impatience. Hunger. Not sex frenzy, a deeper craving. She shifted uneasily, struggling to connect to the wolf, to the primal, instinctual core of her being. But whatever the wolf sensed, she could not reason it into clarity. She grumbled, frustrated.

"Alpha?" Bo asked in concern.

"It's all right." Ashley rubbed her face against Bo's smooth, hard stomach to calm her second. Bo was more closely attuned to her than any member of the Pack. When she hurt, Bo hurt. When she hungered, Bo hungered. When she was in danger, Bo stood ready to defend her. "A Vampire detective questioned the human medic this morning about Kyla. She implied there were rumors, maybe more than rumors, of humans with Were fever."

Bo caught her breath. "How? If it were true, we would know."

"Possibly." Ashley pushed upright and draped her arm around Bo's shoulders. Dyson wrapped his arm around her thigh. "But we need to prepare."

The Rover slowed to a stop. They were home. The time had come for her to do what she was born to do. Defend her Pack.

"I want to see Kyla first," Ashley said, "and then I want a war council. Find Aiden and Alex. And John and Marina."

"You expect an attack?" Bo asked, eyes going sharp.

"No," Ashley said. "We're going hunting."

* * *

Spencer should have gone home to sleep. She was due back in the ER in ten hours, but the early morning meeting with Ashley left her too hyped to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about Ashley and deadly fevers and a newly discovered world she found as fascinating as it was dangerous. She might never have her many questions about Ashley Davies answered, which left her feeling oddly hollow, as if she were missing out on something more important than she could even imagine. She'd have to live with the personal disappointment, but she couldn't allow her ignorance about a deadly disease to continue. She had a job to do, so she turned around and walked back to the ER.

"Kit," Spencer said to the clerk in the ER file room, "could you pull all the charts on patients with a diagnosis of FUO in the last six months?"

The attractive African American woman, stylishly attired in a deep red skirt and jacket, glanced up from her computer and gave Spencer a flat stare. "And you would need this when, Dr. Carlin?"

Spencer grinned sheepishly. "Now?"

"Uh-huh." Kit pointed to a foot-high stack of papers by her right hand. "You know what that is?"

"Nope."

"Billing."

"Uh-huh."

"You know what happens to the money we get from billing?"

Spencer concentrated. "Pays our salaries?"

"That and just about everything else around here," Kit said.

"Double caramel latte or mocha?"

"Mocha."

"Thank you," Spencer said. "Is an hour good?"

Kit smiled brilliantly. "After you deliver my coffee, try checking the conference room. Lauren already has the charts. You two doing a study or something?"

"Something like that," Spencer said quietly. She pointed a finger at Kit. "And you cheated."

"Oh honey, you're just easy."

Kit's laughter followed Spencer down the hall as she headed to the lobby and the coffee kiosk. Lauren should be off-call now too, but she was back in the ER reviewing charts of patients with fever of unknown origin. She had to be looking for other cases of Were fever. Just curious or carrying out her Alpha's orders? Thinking back to Ashley's unexpected appearance in the ER at six a.m. in search of Lauren, Spencer assumed the latter. Angry, uncertain exactly why, she purchased Kit's mocha and threaded her way through the incoming morning crew of nurses, residents, and other staff back to the ER. She'd almost made it to the double doors with the big red sign warning No Entry when a woman with skin a shade lighter than Kit's coffee stepped into her path.

"Dr. Carlin," the woman asked in a husky alto, "how did it feel to be threatened by an out-of-control Were? Did you fear for your life?"

"Who are you?" Spencer asked.

The woman looked to be in her early thirties, dressed casually in blue jeans, low-heeled boots, and a fine-knit black sweater that clung to her swimmer's shoulders and high, round breasts. She pointed to a plastic ID card clipped to the waistband of her jeans where a photo with her oval face, big dark eyes, and glossy black curls was clearly displayed.

"Lena Adams. _Sacramento Observer_. Did you call for security to contain the Were?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Spencer said, although she was pretty certain she did know. Instantly furious at the accusations, Spencer cautioned herself to say as little as possible until she got her temper under control.

Lena reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a newspaper, letting it drop open to the front page and the photo of Ashley and Spencer with Kyla. The angle of the shot made it look as if a snarling Ashley—canines gleaming—was nearly on top of Spencer. Spencer wondered how many people were waiting for just this kind of "evidence" to prove that the Weres represented a danger to society.

"I'm following up on a report that a number of Weres threatened the ER staff this morning," Lena said.

"Your information is incorrect. There was no threat. No danger. No problem at all." Spencer keyed in the code to open the ER doors. "If you'll excuse me."

"If you care about those Weres, Dr. Carlin, you'll give me the true story." Lena looked at the paper in her hand with distaste. "Because you can be sure that rags like this are only interested in selling papers, and they don't care who suffers for it."

Spencer hesitated, studying the woman who watched her with unwavering dark eyes. Friend or foe? In the course of a day she had become aware of a war in progress—battle lines had been drawn—and she was still uncertain of the sides. A strong compulsion to protect Ashley Davies made her decision easy. "All right."

Lena held up a digital recorder. The red light blinked, indicating it was running. "On the record?"

Spencer nodded. "I requested that Councilor Davies assist me in the examination of an agitated young patient. She was very helpful, and at no time was her behavior threatening or in any other way unrestrained. I never considered myself in danger and did not summon security."

"The councilor has been photographed dozens of times over the last two years," Lena said, "and she's never appeared to be anything other than completely controlled. In fact, if you didn't know, you'd think she was human." Lena shook the paper. "She doesn't look human here. What happened?"

_One of her Pack was threatened—possibly dying. One of her young_. Spencer wondered how much more Ashley was forced to hide every day in her public dealings. How much of herself she had to deny in order to achieve protection for her Pack. She thought of the TV images of Frank Foster, the Vampire councilor who appeared as polished and sophisticated as any Wall Street CEO. Then she recalled his daughter's raw sexual power, the crimson flash of her eyes, and knew humans were being allowed to see only a façade—one the human world would feel comfortable with. The price of survival for the Praetern species was apparently the denial of their fundamental being.

Furious at the injustice, Spencer turned and walked away. "I have no further comment."

* * *

After delivering Kit's mocha latte, Spencer knocked on the door to the conference room. Lauren sat at a long table with a dozen charts spread out in front of her. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared when she saw Spencer, but her expression seemed to be more surprise than anxiety.

"What?" Spencer asked.

"Nothing," Lauren said quickly.

"Have you found any more cases? Or is that something else the Alpha wouldn't want you to tell me?"

Lauren straightened, her mouth tightening. "I might be a Were, but I'm also a medic. My responsibility is to all the patients. And I know the Alpha would not want me to put anyone—human or Were—in danger."

"Sorry." Spencer pulled out a chair and sat down. She rubbed her face and shook the tension from her shoulders. "I didn't mean to insult your professional integrity. And I know Ashl—your Alpha—is only trying to protect your Pack."

"I think there are four cases," Lauren said softly. "No one picked up on a pattern because they were all signed out as drug overdoses."

"Not that uncommon a diagnosis in the ER population," Spencer agreed. "Patient profiles?"

"All girls. Aged fifteen to seventeen."

"How many were human?"

Lauren's deep brown eyes clouded. "All of them."

Spencer's chest tightened. "I need to speak to your Alpha. Can you contact her?"

"Again?"

"What do you mean?"

Lauren blushed. "Sorry. Her scent—" She lifted a hand in Spencer's direction. "To us, it's very distinctive."

"Yes, well," Spencer said, an unexpected ripple of pleasure catching her off balance. She liked that she smelled like Ashley, and had no idea what to make of that. "Does everyone who comes in contact with her…carry her scent then?"

"No." Lauren frowned. "The centuri do, of course, but they are oath bonded to her. But I…I don't recall ever scenting her on anyone else."

"Must be because I just saw her," Spencer said. "How do I reach her?"

Lauren looked uncomfortable. "I don't know. Perhaps call her office?"

"What about you? How would you…any of you, let her know of a problem?" Spencer held up her hand when she saw Lauren's face blank. "Don't tell me the details. I know you can't. Just—could you send her a message from me? It's important that I speak with her."

"Yes, but I can't promise anything."

Spencer sighed and pushed to her feet. "Who can?"

* * *

"How is she?" Ashley asked when Chelsea met her in the hall outside Kyla's room.

"She's better. No fever, thankfully. The wound is trying to close, but she needs to shift to complete the healing. She tried, but she's weak and doesn't have enough control to do it voluntarily."

"I'll take care of her."

"Wait." Chelsea grasped Ashley's hand.

Ashley gave Chelsea a questioning look. Bo would not have permitted Chelsea to physically confront her, but Ashley took no issue, as they were alone and no challenge was implied. Chelsea and her mate Hale were beta wolves, lacking overt dominance tendencies but far from being submissive. Their drive was to guide and nurture the Pack, particularly the young, which explained why Chelsea was a medic and Hale a teacher. Ashley valued their friendship and their contributions to the Pack. "What?"

"Your energy has changed. Your call is…dampened."

Ashley smiled ruefully. "Maybe now you'll give Hale a rest."

"There's no need to worry about my mate. He has remarkable stamina." Chelsea's voice was soft with fondness, but her eyes were troubled as she searched Ashley's face. "What have you done to deplete yourself this way?"

"Don't worry. There's no danger." Ashley stroked Chelsea's cheek with her fingertips. "Just worry about Kyla."

"We are here for you, Alpha. If you satisfy your needs outside the Pack, you'll anger some important allies."

"I don't. Not in the way you think." Ashley refused to be dictated to by the traditionalists in the Were Coalition who believed Alphas should only mate with those of ancient blood. Some went so far as to insist Alphas limit their sexual encounters to highbred Pack members. Ashley's line was centuries old—her blood stronger than any wolf Alpha outside the Russian Tundra Pack. Even the Russians would not dare challenge her overtly, but her congress with a Vampire could provide ammunition to those who secretly might wish to unseat her. "What kind of Alpha would I be if I let others decide how I behave?"

Chelsea threaded her arms around Ashley's waist and rested her cheek on her chest. "Not the strong, infuriatingly stubborn Alpha we love."

Laughing, Ashley rubbed Chelsea's back. "You're tired. Let's take care of Kyla so you can get some rest."

Bo appeared at the end of the hall. "We're assembled in the gathering room, Alpha."

"I'll be there soon." Ashley kissed Chelsea's forehead. "Open the door."

Chelsea pushed the door open as Ashley shifted. She bounded into the room and onto the bed next to Kyla. She loomed over the adolescent and licked her face. Kyla's eyes opened and she gave a small cry of surprise before wrapping her arms around Ashley's neck. When Kyla buried her face in Ashley's ruff, Ashley rumbled low in her chest and called Kyla's wolf. Kyla whimpered, trembling as her injured body struggled to give her wolf ascendency. With age and practice the shift would become harmonious, natural, but Kyla was still young, still finding her balance. Ashley broadcast more power, reaching deep into Kyla with the primal force that was programmed into her DNA and that every wolf Were was bound to answer. Kyla's skin shimmered, her white and gray pelt sliding over the surface. Her back arched, her bones morphed, her cry became a howl. Ashley curled around the shivering young wolf and gently took her damp muzzle in her mouth, telling her she was safe and protected.

Kyla sighed and closed her eyes.

Ashley waited another few moments, feeding Kyla her strength, ensuring that she slept peacefully. Then she shifted back to skin and sat on the edge of the bed, softly stroking the beautiful gray and white wolf. The wound on Kyla's shoulder was raw and red, but Ashley saw no sign of the black poison.

Chelsea handed Ashley her jeans. "I may need you again if she tries to shift back too soon."

"Thanks." Ashley stood and pulled on her jeans. Her shirts rarely survived her rapid shifts, the fragments incinerating in the heat of her transition, but she usually managed not to shred her pants if she wanted them again.

"Call me," Ashley said. "No matter what I'm doing, I'll come."

Chelsea kissed Ashley lightly on the mouth. "I know. We all know."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

The windows in the gathering room were open and a breeze thick with honeysuckle and pine stirred Ashley's hair. The scents of rabbit, squirrel, and possum rode on the heat currents, teasing Ashley with the lure of freedom and the joy of the hunt. Hunting prey was part of the natural order, but there was nothing natural about the hunt she contemplated today. Ashley shut the heavy double oak doors, put her hands on her hips, and surveyed her war council.

Bo lounged by the huge fireplace, her back against the stones, her arms folded beneath her breasts. Aiden and Dyson flanked the entry, shoulders resting lightly against the walls. Alex, her fourth centuri, reclined on the arm of an oversized leather chair, her eyes scanning the open windows while the fingers of her right hand played through the short, thick hair of a statuesque brunette. Alex and Marina had obviously been in the midst of a tangle when summoned. Marina, who like Ashley wore only a pair of jeans, was John's top-ranking lieutenant and dominant enough to have been offered a place with the _centuri._ Marina had declined, saying that she preferred her position with the _sentrie_. She liked spending long hours in wolf form patrolling their borders. Marina could follow a days-old track better than anyone except Ashley and could take down a full-grown cat Were by herself. On a hunt, she was merciless.

John, the captain of the _sentries_, slouched on the leather sofa, bare-chested in skintight leather pants, appearing deceptively relaxed. He was as tall as Aiden but whip slender where Aiden was bulky. Both had shaggy dark hair, searching black eyes, and sensuous mouths. John was mated and his female had recently gone into heat. He looked tired but bore the typical smug, satisfied expression of all Weres with mates in the midst of breeding frenzy.

Ashley strode to the center of the gathering. All eyes turned to her.

"Our adolescents were attacked in a city park last night. They report their attackers were rogues. Kyla was the target." Ashley tempered her fury, needing her war council clear-headed. The mere mention of their young being attacked had them on edge, and her anger could easily stir their battle frenzy. They were seasoned soldiers, all of them, but they were wolves. Not just any wolves, but the most dominant wolves in her Pack. Their instinct was to fight. She turned to Aiden, who was the intelligence officer on the council. "What is our current count on the rogues?"

"We have no good accounting of their numbers," Aiden said. "As you know, they are largely disorganized and rarely form more than the most rudimentary Packs. Two or three living together. Many lone wolves."

"Estimates?"

"Within the urban territory? A few dozen at last count." Aiden frowned. "But things have been uncharacteristically quiet for several months—no petty turf struggles, no gang rumbles."

"John," Ashley said, "has Dayanara reported anything unusual?"

John's mate was one of many Weres in law enforcement, a job that provided a natural outlet for Were hunting instincts. Humans couldn't detect Were scent at crime scenes, but the Were police officers could. Dayanara was the conduit for Were officers to report such incidents to the Pack. At the mention of his mate, John rubbed his chest lazily, his canines emerging and a bulge growing behind his fly.

"Focus, John," Ashley barked. "You can think about breeding her later."

John straightened and ducked his head. "Apologies, Alpha."

Ashley waved him off. He wasn't to blame for his instincts. There was no stronger call for a wolf than a mate in breeding frenzy, except the call of their Alpha. John would do his job.

"Dayanara mentioned the number of bodega thefts and car break-ins by the rogues have declined," John said. "I didn't make anything of that at the time."

"If the rogues aren't stealing for food, how are they surviving?" Ashley said.

Bo said, "Maybe they've hired out as mercenaries or have formed a Pack."

"If there are more of them than we think," Aiden said, "or they're banding together, we could have a real problem. If they start preying on humans—"

"We'll be lucky if we all don't end up in cages," Marina muttered darkly. More than most Weres, who instinctively feared confinement, she couldn't tolerate being restricted. She hadn't been born into the Timberwolf Pack—she was one of the rare viable offspring of a female Were and a human male. Her mother, a lone wolf, had hidden her Were nature. Fearing exposure when Marina had shifted as a pup, Marina's mother and her human mate had caged Marina. Eventually, she had escaped and staggered, half starved, into Timberwolf territory after having run wild in wolf form for weeks. Even as an adolescent, she'd been a ferocious fighter and had damaged several of the _sentries_ who tried to subdue her. Christine, Ashley's mother, had been forced to drag her down by the throat and thrash her until Marina lay panting, her belly exposed for the kill. Then Christine had nudged her up and taken her into the Pack.

"No one will ever take your freedom," Ashley said quietly.

Alex leaned down and kissed Marina, who closed her eyes and nodded silently.

"We need to impose order before we have humans injured…or any reports in the media," Ashley said. Rogues congregated in warehouses and abandoned buildings, and were usually quick to run from any show of force. If the rogues were organizing, they might resist, and what had once been a nuisance could become a serious threat. Human gangs had become commonplace in the public awareness, but gangs of roving Weres? If the human population learned of the rogues, political sympathies could quickly change.

"Couldn't Kyla's attempted abduction just have been sexually motivated—rogues looking for a female for sport?" John said.

"Maybe, but we need to be sure." Ashley let her wolf rise and the others tensed. Bo growled. Ashley's voice thickened with rage. "Either way, we need to send a message that our young are not targets. Tonight—Aiden, Dyson, and Marina—you'll be with me. And we'll go hunting."

"Alpha," Bo protested, straightening and striding forward. "I should go."

Ashley shook her head. "I need you here. You're the second."

"Let me go in your place."

"No. This is my territory, and I will make sure they don't forget again." Ashley turned abruptly, flung the heavy doors open with a blow from her outstretched arms, and strode outside. She shifted and streaked off into the woods, heading for her den. The lassitude left from her time with Madison still lingered, and she wanted to sleep while she could. Once she set out to hunt, there would be no rest.

* * *

Lena sat at a small window table in a Starbucks on 9th Street, ignoring the pedestrians passing by the window as she transcribed her notes into her laptop. She hadn't really expected the ER doctor to give her much of anything, but she'd been pleasantly surprised when she'd gotten a genuine quote-worthy response. She glanced at the photo of Ashley Davies and Spencer Carlin, wishing she knew the true story behind that encounter. The passion almost jumped—

Her cell phone rang and she dug it out of her bag. "Lena Adams."

"Were you able to determine if the wolf had slipped her leash?"

"If we had this discussion face-to-face," Lena said, "we'd both probably get a lot more out of it."

"As I explained earlier," the slightly muffled voice rejoined, "I'm not currently able to reveal my interest in the developing situation."

"What exactly is the situation?" Lena asked, fishing a pad of paper and pen out of her bag one-handed. She hastily noted the date and time.

"I thought I made that clear earlier. Humans are being contaminated, infected, _perverted_ by these…creatures. And America's new darling—the beautiful, Ivy League-educated Councilor Davies—is the worst animal of them all."

Lena's skin literally crawled, because this person did not sound crazy, if she didn't actually listen to what was being said. Though indistinct, the voice was cultured and well modulated. She could imagine its owner sitting behind a desk in a multimillion-dollar high-rise office building or sipping brandy in a private club. Nothing overtly insane or extreme. But the venom curdled her blood.

"There doesn't seem to be any proof of this…contamination," Lena said. "If you know something, then give me a lead. Someone to talk to."

"There will be more. Soon."

"Where…"

The caller disconnected.

"God damn it," Lena fumed, scribbling madly. The mysterious caller had contacted her at five that morning, urging her to look at the early morning edition of the city rag. When she asked why, the answer was that the Weres were hiding a secret that could threaten human existence. The implication was Ashley Davies was on the verge of losing control of her _animals_, as the caller put it.

Lena was an investigative reporter. She followed a story, no matter how slim the lead, and if there was anything at all to this story, she had a hunch it was going to be big. She sipped her cold coffee and thought about her next move. She didn't have one. But she hadn't gotten to this point in her career by sitting back and waiting for the breaks to come to her. She made things happen. She picked up her cell phone, scrolled through her contacts, and pushed a number.

"Foster," a smoky voice said. "Praetern crime division."

"Lena Adams, Detective." Lena wondered how the decorated detective felt having been shunted from the elite Crimes Against Persons division to the hastily formed PCD when her father had come out as a Vampire, dragging Stef Foster into the light with him. So to speak.

"I'm busy, Ms. Adams. I'm afraid I don't have any sensational news for you today."

"I'm an investigative reporter," Lena said, trying and failing not to be annoyed by the always annoying detective. Why it bothered her that she got no respect from this one detective when she had a good working relationship with other detectives on the crime beat, she didn't know.

"If you say so. I'm still busy. Goodb—"

"Wait! What do you know about some kind of Were infection getting out of control?" Lena said hastily.

Stef was silent for a long moment. "Are you telling me that you know something about it?"

"How big of a problem is it?"

"You're fishing."

"I'm in the right pond, aren't I?"

Stef sighed. "I don't have anything for you. But if you know something, I need you to tell me."

"You see," Lena said conversationally, "the way this works is that you help me out and I help you out."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because we both want the same thing, Detective. We both want—"

"You want a headline with your name underneath it," Stef said, and the sting was back in her voice. "I want to prevent senseless deaths."

"You sanctimonious bastard," Lena said, losing the reins on her temper. "You don't know me or what I want."

"No, I don't," Stef said in her infuriatingly icy-calm voice. "But allow me to give you a piece of advice, nonetheless. If you keep fishing, you're likely to pull up something that you can't handle."

"Oh please," Lena snapped. "Are you trying to frighten me now?"

"If I wanted to frighten you, I can think of much more pleasant ways to do it."

The Vampire's voice slid along her spine like deliciously cool fingers on a scorching summer day. Lena tightened in places she didn't want to tighten, especially when talking to this infuriating…Vampire. She realized she was breathing a little bit faster just before she realized that a Vampire's hearing was acute enough to tell that over the phone. If she hadn't already known, Stef's throaty chuckle would have confirmed it.

"Bastard," Lena muttered.

"I'll make a deal with you," Stef said, her voice businesslike again.

"I'm listening."

"If you get a lead on any kind of unusual condition affecting the Weres, you don't go off investigating on your own. You call me."

Lena snorted. "Where's the part where I get something out of this?"

"You stay alive."

"Not good enough."

"That's a very foolish thing for a mortal to say."

"I'm not going to waste my life doing nothing because I'm afraid of dying." As soon she said it, Lena wondered why she had. The few encounters she'd had with Detective Stef Foster had been uniformly frustrating, if not downright infuriating. Somehow, being dismissed by the elegant, always calm and cool Vampire annoyed her no end. And now, she was getting very close to revealing herself to her.

"Believe it or not," Stef said, "I understand that."

Lena caught her breath. She was curious. Everyone was curious where the Vampires were concerned, and by nature, she more than most. Still, she felt an almost strange reluctance to probe, which was completely unlike her. "But why would you…I mean, dying really doesn't change things for you all that much. Does it?"

Her question came out sounding almost gentle, not like her usual in-your-face interrogation style. Foster had a way of turning her around and upside down, and Lena didn't like it.

"Being animate is not quite the same thing as being alive," Stef said quietly.

"Will you help me?" Lena asked.

"Will you promise not to take unnecessary chances?" Stef countered.

"I'm going to do my job, but if you promise to keep me in the loop…anything you have, I get it first. Exclusive. I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"And?"

Lena found herself smiling, unaccountably charmed. "And I'll be careful. No chances."

"Then we have a deal," Stef said.

"Thank you," Lena said softly. She disconnected and leaned back in her chair, knowing she was flushed and imagining cool fingers gliding over her slick skin. Shaking her head at her foolishness, she picked up her pen and focused on her notes. Such an annoying Vampire.

* * *

Spencer had a few extra minutes before her evening shift started, so she detoured through Cosumnes School Park on her way to the hospital from her apartment on Sunnybrae Dr. The air held the hazy yellow glow of an August twilight and smelled like freshly mown grass. Strangely melancholic, she circled the small lake in the center of the park, watching couples stroll hand in hand or picnic with sandwiches spread out on white squares of deli paper. She tried to recall the last time she had a picnic meal. She didn't bother trying to remember the last time she'd held someone's hand. A group of noisy teenaged boys shoved past her on the winding path, and she watched them go, kings of their own small universe. She wondered if they were Weres, but she didn't think so. They didn't move with the kind of loose-jointed grace that was so typical of Ashley and her wolves. Spencer thought of Kyla having been attacked in this park the night before, of the terror in her eyes, and Ashley's tender fury. She wondered if she'd ever see the Were Alpha again.

Ashley hadn't responded to her request to talk to her. Spencer had stayed at the hospital until midafternoon, studying the charts of the patients she and Lauren suspected had succumbed to Were fever. The patients were eerily similar—so much so that the coincidences continued to nag at her mind. All girls in their mid teens, all unidentified—assumed to be runaways. Three Caucasians, one Asian. All moderately malnourished, as if they hadn't always lived on the streets. Spencer knew the look. Growing up, she'd seen plenty of street kids cycled in and out of the state home—thin bodies and hard eyes. The girls had presented to the ER at intervals of about a month, which wouldn't have been remarkable unless someone had been looking for it. She wasn't surprised that no one had associated their deaths as part of a pattern. Even she wasn't entirely certain yet that it was. If the detective hadn't shown up that morning and awakened her curiosity, she might never have put the picture together.

She had so many questions, and no answers. Why these girls? And what was it that had killed them? How had they gotten infected?

Turning out of the park, she started up Bruceville Rd. She probably should just let it go. The Weres—in fact, all of the Praeterns—had managed to survive without the intervention of human medicine and science for millennia. But these patients weren't Weres, and even if they were, she didn't care. Because she _did_ care.

She followed the winding driveway to the main ER entrance, wishing she knew how to reach Ashley. She'd left a message on her answering machine at her Council office, but she didn't hold out much hope for a response. Maybe Lauren would relay her request…

The sound of tires screeching behind her yanked her out of her aimless ruminations and back to stark reality. She jumped onto the bumper of a parked EMS van and clung to the door handle as a low, long black sedan roared past and slammed to a halt in front of the ER. The rear door opened and a body rolled out onto the pavement. Then the car roared away.

"Someone get a gurney," Spencer shouted as she ran to the motionless naked girl lying facedown in the road. She turned her carefully, vaguely aware of people racing out of the ER toward her.

The girl couldn't be more than fifteen. She was so pale. White, nearly bloodless. Pink froth covered her mouth. Spencer wasn't certain she was breathing. She rested her hand in the middle of a pitifully thin chest, hoping to feel respirations. The girl was hot. Burning up. Her temperature had to be 105 degrees. Her muscles were rigid. At this rate, she would seize any second.

"Get an IV in both arms," Spencer snapped to the two ER techs who now knelt on either side of the girl. One of the nurses pushed a crash cart over the uneven driveway toward her. "Set up a bicarb drip and get me a hundred milligrams of dantrolene."

"Should we try to get her inside?" the nurse asked, handing Spencer a pair of gloves.

Spencer pulled them on automatically. "No, there's no time. Somebody get an ET tube ready. And page the Were medic on call STAT."

The tech who had been about to start an IV jerked back. "Is she a Were?"

"I don't know." Spencer looked up at him. "What difference does it make? Put that IV in."

"Doctor," the nurse said anxiously, "maybe we should wait?"

The girl arched off the ground as if her body were an overtightened bow about to snap. Then she began to seize.

"_Hell_." Spencer slid her thumb into the corner of the girl's mouth and gripped her chin, forcing her jaws to open a fraction. "Give me a laryngoscope and the ET tube."

Spencer eased the metal blade of the laryngoscope between the girl's teeth, trying to move her tongue aside so she could see the vocal cords. The back of her throat was filled with thick, bloody fluid. She'd have to pass the tube blindly. Lifting a little more on the laryngoscope, Spencer bent closer, the plastic ET tube held between her thumb and first two fingers. Just as she was about to slide it into the corner of the girl's mouth, the girl convulsed violently, dislodging the laryngoscope. Spencer tried to cushion the girl's head to prevent her from injuring herself, and before she could even register the movement, the girl lashed out and sank her teeth into Spencer's forearm.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley sent Marina and Aiden into the park to search for the site where Kyla and the boys were attacked. Kyla's blood would be easy to scent, and from there, Marina could track the rogues back to their lair. When in pelt, Marina was only slightly smaller than Aiden and just as muscular from her many hours in the forest on four feet. No one would mistake the big gray wolves for dogs, but they were expert at disappearing in the shadows. Dyson parked the Rover along a darkened portion of the street bordering the south edge of the park while he and Ashley waited for the others to pick up a trail.

Dyson had tied his thick, shoulder-length dirty blonde hair back with a leather thong, and in his skintight black pants and T-shirt, he looked as delicately lethal as a stiletto. Ashley wore tight leather pants and boots. Narrow leather bands encircled both biceps. Her bare chest glinted obsidian under the rising moon as her wolf prowled close to the skin. Her power filled the cab with a heady mixture of adrenaline and pheromones and Dyson growled softly, the crotch of his pants tenting at her call.

"Soon," Ashley murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. He turned his head and brushed his cheek against her palm.

"What if they can't catch a scent?" Dyson asked.

"Dayanara gave us the locations of several rogue sightings in the last week. If we have to, we'll check them all. But Marina will find it," Ashley said, and as if her speaking the words were enough, a howl rose into the night. Ashley tilted her head, listening. "They're heading east, to the waterfront. Let's go."

Ashley directed Dyson as she followed the scent and sound of her wolves through the streets. She pointed to an overgrown lot adjoining a decrepit warehouse that had once been a receiving station for South American cocoa beans, before containers allowed offloading directly from ships to eighteen-wheelers. "There."

Dyson cut the engine and let the Rover coast to a stop. Ashley stepped out of the passenger side and surveyed the building. Part of the roof was caved in and many of the rectangular multipane windows were broken. The sliding cargo bay door hung half off its hinges. Aiden and Marina appeared out of the darkness, panting, eyes shining with the thrill of the hunt.

"Dyson," Ashley murmured. "Join them."

Dyson shifted and all three wolves crowded close against Ashley's legs.

"If you smell Kyla on any of them," Ashley said as she combed her fingers through the thick pelts of the wolves at her side, "bring them to me."

Aiden whined, eager to hunt. Marina's heavy muscles trembled as she waited, poised, for her Alpha's command. Ashley threw back her head and howled, an eerie, haunting cry that cleaved the night and left the darkness to bleed. She swept both arms toward the windows on either side of the cargo bay doors. "Go."

Aiden and Marina streaked across the lot, gray shadows bounding over knee-high weeds. Ashley raced with Dyson by her side, hitting the opening in the bay doors at the same time as Aiden and Marina crashed through the windows and landed in the dank interior. Still in skin form, Ashley howled again and her wolves snarled. Screams and garbled shouts erupted. Frantic footsteps pounded in the darkness. The stench of fear and sickness hung like clouds in the fetid air.

Ashley's eyesight was hyperacute in any form, but she didn't need to see to find her prey. She scented them—acrid, panic-soaked bodies undercut with decay. They weren't just starving, they were dying. Poisoned.

"DSX," she spat. These rogues were addicted to desoxyephedrine, a variant of methamphetamine, one of the few drugs capable of corrupting Were physiology. The addiction was rapid and irreversible. When first exposed, users became hypersexual and hyperaggressive. Eventually, addicted Weres turned rabid, attacking anything warm-blooded, including humans, before spiraling into mindless psychosis. Humans destroyed themselves with the drug. Weres became killing machines before disintegrating into burned-out husks. If these rogues were in the end stages of DSX poisoning, death would be a mercy.

Ashley stalked into the bowels of the building, tracking her prey. Her body slashed through the shafts of moonlight filtering through gaps in the roof, and as she misted in and out of the shadows, her hunters circled the periphery, inexorably closing in on the rogues from all sides. Within minutes, she and her wolves surrounded three quivering males in their late teens.

Ashley scented the air. "There was a fourth." She telegraphed to Marina, _Go. Take him before he calls others. _

The rogues were all in skin form, so filthy their hair color was indiscernible. Cloaked in rags, bright eyed with impending insanity, they were only days from immolation. Ashley stood over them with legs spread, hands on hips. Beside her, Dyson and Aiden prowled, lips curled back, warning the rogues away from their Alpha.

"Who is supplying the DSX?" Ashley snarled.

"Fuck you, bitch," one spat and lunged for her midsection. Aiden caught him in midair and tore his throat out.

Ashley kept her gaze on the last two rogues as the dead male fell at her feet.

"Tell me now or I'll let my hunters have their kill."

"Oh Jesus, it was Rainer!" the smaller of the two screamed. "It was one of Rainer's bitches. His bitches run it!"

"Where are they?" Ashley demanded.

"I don't know. I don't know. He moves around all the time. On the waterfront, mostly."

The second rogue cuffed the one who was talking on the side of the head. "Shut up." He sneered at Ashley, his features contorted with insanity. "Rainer will tear your heart out and eat it, you cunt bitch."

Ashley tilted her head, slowly scenting the air. "You smell like my wolf, rogue. No one touches my wolves."

Slaver dripped from his lips and his eyes rolled wildly. "She screamed like the weak little bitch she is."

"You trespassed on my territory and violated Pack law," Ashley said, her voice chilled steel. "The penalty is death."

Between one breath and the next, Ashley shifted and launched herself at the one who had attacked Kyla. A streak of onyx death, she caught him by the neck, the force of her body taking him to the floor. She could have killed him then, but she wanted to send a message. She backed away, circling, and gave him time to shift. He was a big rabid grey wolf, his eyes frenzied, his penis swollen. Saliva hung in strings from his jaws. He rushed her, his lips pulled back and his canines slashing. One second she was motionless, the next a blur. She cut low and to the side, and his jaws clamped on empty air. Hers closed around his right foreleg, crushing it. He howled and flung his head around, his teeth snapping inches from her face. She darted away and he staggered. He was drug mad, oblivious to his injuries. Head down, growling wildly, he charged her again. Ashley twisted out of his path and slashed his shoulder to the bone. He stumbled, dragged himself around, and crouched to strike a third time.

She could have crippled him, one limb at time, and then gutted him—leaving him to die a slow, agonizing death. But he was still a wolf, and she had made her point. She was faster, stronger, more deadly. She was Alpha. When he was almost on top of her, she leapt over him. Before he could turn and make another run at her, she vaulted onto his back and bit at his jugular. He went down, a fountain of blood arcing into the murk. Within seconds, he twitched and lay still.

Ashley raised her head and howled. Her wolves joined her. Kyla had been avenged. Justice had been served.

The remaining rogue huddled on the floor with his arms over his head. Ashley shifted and crouched beside him. "Remember this. Tell Rainer that the Alpha of the Timberwolf Pack is coming for him, and I won't be as merciful."

He whimpered. Urine stained the front of his jeans and dripped onto the floor.

Ashley straightened and stalked away. "Throw the bodies in the river."

Outside she breathed deeply, letting the warm summer scents purge her lungs of death and decay. Her wolves would be sure the bodies did not surface until there was nothing left but bone. She took no satisfaction in the killing. She'd done what was necessary to preserve order. She ruled a species whose instincts were primal and lethal. Were justice was harsh and absolute. Her word was law, and none could be allowed to forget or flout it. If she could not personally enforce Pack law, she could not lead.

She opened the rear gate of the Rover and extracted jeans from the pile they had packed earlier. She pulled them on as the others, having shifted to skin, joined her and dressed.

"You tracked the runner?" Ashley asked Marina.

"To an empty warehouse a quarter of a mile from here," Marina reported. "Wolves had been there as recently as last night. A lot of them."

"And the rogue who escaped?"

"He won't be a threat to anyone again." Marina's lips pulled back in a grin. "Are we going after this Rainer tonight?"

"No," Ashley said. "I want to find out more before we hunt. Where he came from, who supplies him. How many rogues he has assembled. Where they're headquartered." She embraced her hunters, one after the other.

"Tonight was for Kyla. You fought well."

* * *

"I'm all right," Spencer told Lauren, trying not to clench her jaws at the lacerating pain shooting up her arm as Lauren cleansed the bite. Blood oozed from the punctures halfway between her wrist and elbow, and the skin around the wounds had already turned purple. "Helena gave me an IM dose of antibiotics."

Lauren finished wrapping gauze around Spencer's arm and glanced behind her at the closed curtain. "It's not infection we need to worry about. It's been less than an hour and your temperature is elevated already."

"Only a degree. That could be attributed to the trauma itself." As soon as the words left Spencer's mouth, she shivered violently and her teeth chattered. Lauren stuck a thermometer under her tongue. The LCD readout registered 102 degrees.

"What will happen if I develop Were fever?" Spencer asked when the rigor passed.

"I don't know," Lauren said, her discomfort obvious.

"But you know what might happen, don't you?"

Lauren hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. "If the fever doesn't kill you, you'll turn."

"Turn." An icy hand gripped Spencer's heart even as her skin flushed hotter. "What are the chances?"

"Most humans never turn."

Spencer wrapped her arms around herself as another chill shook her so badly she could barely remain sitting upright. "You mean they die before they turn."

Lauren nodded miserably.

"And if they turn? Are they…okay?"

"Sometimes," Lauren said softly.

"And the rest of the time?"

"They're rabid."

"And rabid wolves are executed," Spencer said.

Lauren looked away.

"I can't stay here if I might turn and attack someone." Spencer heaved herself off the stretcher and her legs gave way. Her thigh and back muscles cramped and she doubled over. "Oh God. It's moving fast. Lauren—"

"It's rhabdomyolysis. You may lose consciousness soon."

Gasping, Spencer said, "Can you get me somewhere I won't be a threat to anyone?"

"Yes." Lauren grabbed Spencer around the waist, steadying her until the cramps subsided. "Can you walk out of here so we don't arouse suspicion?"

Spencer gritted her teeth and nodded. Her vision was blurry, her body a mass of lancing pain. "But we have to go now. I don't…have long."

"If you can make it through the ER, my car is right outside."

"Let's go." Through the haze of agony, Spencer could see Lauren hesitate. She forced out a word. "What?"

"You may not have a chance to tell us later." Lauren cupped Spencer's face in her palm. "You have a choice. If you don't want to turn, the Alpha will be quick and merciful."

"I'm not afraid of turning. I just don't want to be a danger to anyone." Spencer clutched her stomach as another spasm struck. "Tell Ashley…I trust her. Tell her to do…what must be done."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

_She said to tell you she was coming for you and she wouldn't be merciful_.

Rainer's blood simmered with the desire to kill the messenger, but he needed all the spies he could recruit. The howlers—end-stage DSX addicts—traded information for drugs, and since their lifespan was unpredictable, he tried to keep them around until they were too psychotic to be useful. He had a network of spies all over the urban territory. Still other rogues, non-addicts, held regular jobs in very valuable positions like the police department and even in the State Capitol, but he relied on his underworld informants for critical intelligence. If word got out that he killed them when they delivered bad news, his supply of information might suddenly dry up. So, instead of shredding this one's skin from his bones, Rainer buried his claws in the sniveling howler's shoulder and dragged him to his feet.

"What else did you tell her?" Rainer demanded, slashing the howler's cheek with his canines. Right now he was sequestered in the shadows under a highway overpass with two of his most trusted lieutenants and a handful of rogue street soldiers. He needed to find out just what the weaklings had revealed before Ashley Davies had killed them. "What does she know about us?"

"Nothing, nothing," the howler cried. "She just killed Max and told me to tell you…what I told you."

"And you ran straight from the killing ground to my headquarters!" The howler had staggered into headquarters screaming that the Alpha bitch and her lackeys had just killed three of Rainer's street soldiers. He'd been forced to evacuate for fear the bitch would track the one she'd spared right to him. For thirty panicked minutes, his lieutenants had loaded the recent shipment of DSX, weapons, and most of the rogues into trucks. Rainer had given instructions to store weapons and drugs in disparate locations in the city in case his network was compromised. Fortunately, he never disclosed anything of importance to low-level soldiers and especially not to the howlers, so his secondary outposts should be safe. Still, he needed new headquarters.

"I'm sorry, Rainer," the howler sobbed. "I just wanted to warn you."

Rainer raked his claws down the howler's back in fury and frustration. Why was he forced to build an army with pathetic scum, when he should have been leading an entire Pack of the strongest Weres on earth to their rightful destiny?

"Why didn't she kill you?" Rainer snarled. "You smell of submissive piss. What did you promise her?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear, Rainer! I never said anything. It was all over so fast…she grabbed Max so fast, she was so fast…"

The howler started babbling about the bitch being so strong and so fast and Rainer couldn't contain his rage any longer. He snapped the howler's neck and threw his spasming body on the ground.

"Let the bitch come," he shouted to everyone within hearing distance. "The sooner she's dead, the sooner we will reclaim what's ours."

One of the bitches tried to lick the blood running down the dead howler's back and Rainer kicked her away with a booted foot. She whined and tried to wrap herself around his leg, one clawed hand grasping at his groin. He snarled at her and she cowered, her eyes feverish, her emaciated body trembling. The DSX had triggered her heat and her body was consuming itself with the outpouring of hormones that drove her to keep coupling until she was bred. But Were fertility was naturally very low, and that, combined with the debilitating effects of the drugs, made it unlikely she would conceive. If the unrelenting heat didn't kill her, the DSX eventually would. Impatiently, he signaled the circling dominants to deal with her. The four rogue dominants had been waiting for the Alpha to mount her or give them permission, and now they snarled and snapped and clawed at each other. The most dominant, a male, quickly drove the others away. The groveling female in heat crawled toward him on all fours and he thrust his heavy penis into her from the rear with a savage growl.

Rainer ignored them and summoned his two guards. "I need to know whenever Davies leaves the Compound. As long as she's there, she's protected. Outside—we'll have the advantage."

A muscle-bound male with shaggy black hair snapped to attention. "Yes, Rainer."

"Tomorrow, I want double the runners to move out that product." Rainer stalked out from under cover of the soaring concrete abutments and opened his cell phone. He selected a programmed number and waited.

"I told you not to call this number," a cool, modulated voice answered.

"It couldn't wait until tomorrow," Rainer said. "We may have a problem."

"We?"

"Ashley Davies led a hunting party down here tonight."

"What does she know?" Rainer's supplier asked carefully.

"Possibly nothing. It might have been in retaliation for a problem with one of her females," Rainer said.

"What kind of problem? Now is not the time for foolish mistakes."

"It was nothing. A couple of rogues scuffled with some adolescents."

"Our business venture?"

"My end of things is fine," Rainer growled.

"I'll take care of giving the _Alpha_ something to worry about other than you and your activities."

"Just be sure the shipments aren't interrupted," Rainer said.

"Be careful," the icy voice said softly. "You aren't the only renegade anxious to take Davies's place."

Rainer cut off the call just as a high-pitched wail was wrung from the bitch in heat. His wolf lunged for freedom so quickly and ferociously he barely managed not to shift. He wanted a female, but not one of these wretched, submissive bitches. He wanted to feel a dominant female cowering beneath his body. He wanted to break Ashley Davies.

* * *

When Ashley's cell phone rang she checked the readout and saw the call was from Bo. "Ashley."

"Lauren called. We have a situation."

"What is it?"

"A human female was dropped off at Sierra Vista Hospital with what looked like Were fever."

Ashley checked their location through the window of the Rover. "It'll take me twenty minutes to get back there. Is Lauren handling damage control?"

"I think it's going to be more than she can handle."

"Is the press on it already?" Ashley wondered if Lauren could reach Spencer. Spencer had offered her assistance, and even though Ashley didn't want to involve a human in a situation she still didn't understand, she wanted to avoid media coverage that would raise panic.

"Not that I know of, but…chances are good they'll get wind of the story. The girl bit the ER doctor who tried to treat her. Lauren says the human is already toxic. I don't know if we can keep that quiet."

Ashley snarled. "Is it Spencer?"

"Yes."

"Where are they?" Ashley's roar brought her guards to attention.

"Lauren got her out of the hospital. I couldn't reach you right away, so I told her to bring the human here."

Ashley's wolf raged and howled in a protective frenzy, the instinct more potent than any she'd ever experienced. She couldn't fight it, didn't even try. The bones in her face angled and sharpened, her eyes flashed gold, and her claws tore through her fingertips. Her vocal cords thickened and her voice turned to sandpaper. "Lauren's ETA?"

"Ten minutes or so."

"We'll be right behind them. Tell Chelsea to prepare an isolation room."

"Alpha, the chances that she'll even survive that lon—"

"Do it!" Ashley closed her phone so violently she crushed it in her palm. She threw the useless device on the floor. Plaintive whines and growls rose from the rear compartment. Marina and Aiden had shifted when Ashley's wolf had ascended, and now they paced restlessly behind her. She twisted in her seat and they both licked her face. Then she glanced at Dyson, who gripped the wheel with rigid arms, fighting not to shift. Ashley commanded her snarling wolf into the shadows, and Dyson relaxed perceptibly. He and Alex had the strongest ability to resist the call when Ashley's wolf ascended, which is why one of them usually drove. Any less dominant wolf Were would have been powerless to resist when Ashley was in mid-shift. "Get me back to the Compound. _Now_."

* * *

The Rover roared down the narrow forest trail and into the Compound. A dark SUV was parked in front of the infirmary. Lauren's car, Ashley surmised. Dyson had barely begun to slow when Ashley bounded from the vehicle and raced toward the infirmary. Bo, naked except for a pair of black leather pants unsnapped at the waist, appeared from out of the shadows on the wide porch and planted herself at the top of the steps.

"Move," Ashley growled, canines flashing in the moonlight, her wolf ready to attack anyone who got in her way. She'd partially shifted again, her attack hormones surging.

Bo shuddered and her skin glowed golden red. "You can't go in there like that."

Ashley snarled and pushed Bo back with a hand in the middle of her bare chest. Her claws pressed into but did not pierce Bo's skin.

"Chelsea will shift, Alpha," Bo panted, the pain of holding down her wolf nearly doubling her over. She'd never felt Ashley's fury this uncontrolled, and she'd never been pulled into the maelstrom so completely. Even when they hunted, she was able to stay in skin form if she needed to. She dropped to her knees as her bones battled to morph. A trail of red-gray fur shimmered down the center of her abdomen and dove beneath the waistband of her leather pants. "Alpha…" She gasped. "Alpha, if I can't control myself, Chelsea…"

Ashley closed her eyes and pulled cool night air deep into her lungs. Once again, she battled down her wolf, by sheer force of will suppressing her most primal instincts to guard and possess. She had to see Spencer, and Spencer needed medical care. If her agitation and aggression caused Chelsea and Lauren to shift involuntarily, Spencer would suffer for it. She couldn't let that happen. A frustrated rumble rose from Ashley's chest as she finally overpowered her wolf. Bo's breathing eased and the traces of pelt receded from her tight belly. Ashley dropped a hand on Bo's damp head. "Thank you."

Whimpering in relief, Bo tilted her head back and Ashley cupped her jaw, her thumb brushing the corner of Bo's mouth. "Stand guard for me, Imperator. No one comes inside."

"Yes, Alpha," Bo whispered.

* * *

Chelsea closed the door of the last room at the far end of the infirmary. She regarded Ashley storming toward her and held up one hand. "You can't come in right now."

Ashley restrained herself from physically lifting Chelsea aside, but the effort taxed every bit of her control. "I want to see her."

"It's not safe. I had to send Lauren out a few minutes ago." Chelsea backed against the door, her face blanching as Ashley growled threateningly. Her luminous dark eyes were smudged with worry, the hollows below her bold cheekbones deeper, etched with exhaustion. "The fever is progressing quickly. The human is irrational most of the time. She's dangerous."

"She won't hurt me," Ashley said, gritting her teeth to keep her wolf at bay. She felt as if she were being pummeled from the inside out, her flesh threatening to tear from her bones. "She hasn't hurt you or Lauren, has she?"

"We don't know how this strain of fever affects a human," Chelsea said, her expression imploring. "We don't know if her bite is capable of inducing fever in us. We can't risk the Alpha—"

"If it's not safe for me, it's less safe for you." Ashley braced her arms on the door on either side of Chelsea's shoulders and leaned down so her face was level with that of the smaller female. "I could force you to let me in, but I won't. Chelsea, look at me."

Chelsea tilted her head against the door and raised her eyes to Ashley's. She whimpered at the intensity in Ashley's gaze and wrapped her arms around Ashley's shoulders. She was tired and frightened, and she needed Ashley's strength. Ashley kissed her forehead.

"I need to see her. I need to understand what we're facing if this spreads to more humans." Ashley spoke the truth, but it wasn't the entire truth. She needed to see Spencer, touch her, shield her from whatever threatened her. Spencer was human, but she felt like Pack. Ashley didn't question her instincts, couldn't change the ingrained drives that ruled her life. She only knew what she must do. "The survival of our Pack depends on us containing this outbreak."

"We can't lose you," Chelsea whispered, her fingers digging into Ashley's shoulders. "Kyla is asking for you. She needs you. We need you."

Ashley called her wolf and broadcast her strength and power throughout the Compound and far into the forest surrounding them. A wolf howled outside on the porch—Bo. A higher-pitched howl followed—Alex. A deeper howl, then another, and another as Aiden and Dyson and Marina added their voices. They were joined by others until the air was filled with sound of the Pack uniting in harmony and trust.

"I will never forsake you," Ashley murmured, her lips against Chelsea's temple. "But I must do what is necessary. Let me pass, my wolf."

Chelsea cleaved to Ashley for a long moment, then stepped aside.

"Do not enter, no matter what you sense," Ashley said as she stepped through the door.

A single shaded lamp burned dimly on a narrow dresser against the far wall. Beneath the window, a naked form lay bathed in moonlight. Spencer's blonde hair lay in wet strands across her forehead and feathered against her cheek and neck. Her jaws were clenched, her chin tilted upward, accentuating the smooth column of her neck. Her back arched as if she was straining for a lover's embrace, the long muscles in her abdomen tight, her arms and legs trembling. Her breasts, firm with small hard, pink nipples, lifted and fell with each quick breath.

Ashley recognized the scent she associated with Spencer—sharp and smoky, like aged red wine. But now there was more—a dark, tangy undercurrent that promised wild pleasures. Her clitoris lengthened, her sex glands swelled, and she growled. She smelled wolf.

Spencer turned her head. "Ashley?"

"Yes." Ashley knelt by the bed and rested the backs of her fingers against Spencer's cheek. Her skin was fiery, her eyes fever-bright. Ashley noticed a plastic catheter taped to Spencer's left forearm. "Do you know how to treat this?"

"No," Spencer gasped as a cramp gripped her insides. "Told Lauren what medicines to try. Don't know…if it will work."

"Do you want to turn?" Ashley pushed her fingers into Spencer's hair, forced Spencer's eyes to meet hers. "Will you accept being Were?"

"Yes," Spencer groaned, gripping Ashley's arm. "The fever might be fatal."

"I won't let you die." Ashley had only seen a few humans afflicted by Were fever, and most died from some kind of toxic shock within a matter of a few hours. A few survived, their cells carrying altered mitochondrial genetic material, mutated during the course of the fever. Turned Weres. All but one, rabid. She had not been Alpha then, and it had not been her responsibility to order the executions. She would not do it now.

Spencer shivered. "Don't let me hurt anyone."

"I won't."

"Can't fight."

Ashley didn't know how she knew, but she knew. She could sense the wolf straining to emerge. She cupped the back of Spencer's neck and leaned close to her. "Don't fight."

Spencer's eyes were closing, her body beginning to shake. Convulsions.

"Spencer," Ashley shouted, gripping her neck harder. "Don't fight. Let her come. Let her come."

Spencer screamed and thrashed, blood-tinged saliva collecting at the corners of her mouth. Her eyes rolled back and her jaws snapped violently, mere millimeters from Ashley's arm. The door burst open and Bo charged into the room. She grabbed Ashley and jerked her away from the bed.

"No," Ashley roared, lashing out, her claws catching Bo across the shoulder. Only the smell of Bo's blood, the one wolf she trusted above all others, prevented her from ripping Bo's throat out.

Bo shoved Ashley against the wall, rivulets of blood painting her chest crimson. "She's not worth it!"

"Get away from me," Ashley warned, her eyes wolf-gold.

Bo dropped to her knees, wrapped her arms around Ashley's hips, and pressed her face against Ashley's abdomen. "No."

Across the room, Spencer writhed, screaming.

"Chelsea," Ashley shouted.

The Pack medic rushed into the room.

"Help her," Ashley demanded.

Bo, driven to submit after challenging her Alpha, licked Ashley's stomach, her fingers opening the buttons on Ashley's fly. Her canines grazed Ashley's belly as she dragged her mouth lower.

"Don't." Ashley threaded her fingers through Bo's hair and guided her upright. "Go outside. Calm the others. I'll be all right."

"Please, Alpha," Bo implored. "There's nothing anyone can do. Let me kill her."

"I don't want to hurt you, but if you touch her, I will." Ashley gently kissed her on the mouth. "I need you. I need you by my side."

Bo trembled, torn between her need to obey and her need to protect. Caught between love and duty. "When the time comes to be merciful, call on me. Let me do this for you."

Ashley shook her head. "I will do what needs be done."


	18. Chapter 18

Okay so I kinda messed up a character in the beginning so I had to update the chapters to reflect the change. Don't worry nothing in the story has changed just one persons name, because I am going to have to use that name in the sequel with a different relationship. So in honor of me screwing up I decided to post 3 more chapters :) Enjoy

This one is** rated M (a little) **

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Detective Foster, please," Lena said when Stef's cell phone rang through to the dispatcher.

"I'm sorry," a bored voice replied. "Detective Foster is not on duty tonight. Would you like to leave a message?"

"No, thank you." Lena hung up. She'd promised Foster she would contact her if something popped in the Were investigation. She'd called her, she'd kept her promise.

She hastily dressed in a sleeveless green silk blouse, black slacks, and low heels. After double-checking her bag to be sure she had her phone, her recorder, and a digital camera, she grabbed her car keys off the small table inside her front door, hurried into the foyer, and jabbed the elevator down button.

Impatiently, she watched the lighted numerals as the elevator climbed toward the eighth floor of her waterfront condo building. Her watch read 3:05 a.m. Ten minutes had passed since she'd been awakened by a call from the man—at least she thought the muffled voice was male—she had dubbed Mr. X. He'd told her to check the hospital for a victim of Were fever. He'd disconnected before she could ask him for a name.

Fifteen minutes later she was in the ER at Sierra Vista Hospital.

"Hi, Seth, how's it going?" she said to the admissions clerk, an implacable thin shaggy haired man with wire-rimmed glasses who always wore a white dress shirt and creased khaki trousers. He sat at the counter in a cubicle separated from the patient admitting area by a sliding glass barrier. Lena knew the night crew in the ER better than the daytime staff because crime picked up at night, and crime was her beat. When she couldn't get a doctor to even see her, let alone talk to her—which was pretty much one hundred percent of the time—she could usually find a nurse or tech who would give her a little bit of information. Seth pointed to the rows of orange plastic bucket seats bolted to the floor, most of which were filled with patients waiting to be seen.

"Night's been crazy and it isn't even a full moon," he said in a low voice. "Who you looking for?"

Lena checked behind her to make sure no one was in hearing distance and leaned through the window for a little more privacy. "Did you sign in any Weres tonight?"

Seth's brows drew down, three perfect rows of horizontal lines appearing in his smooth forehead. "Most of the time that's not something they put on their admission forms."

"I know." Lena thought of the photograph in the morning paper. If a Were had been brought in with something serious, wouldn't the Alpha be contacted? "How about Ashley Davies? Was she here?"

"You see any news vans out in the parking lot?" Seth groused. "Anywhere she goes, the press follows like a little gaggle of geese."

Lena laughed. "I resent that."

Seth looked over his shoulder and bent forward, lowering his voice. "The Were medic—Lauren—she came in a couple of hours ago. I've been so busy up here, I didn't have a chance to find out who she was seeing."

"Is she still here?" Lena asked.

"I think I saw her leave. Like I said, it's been a zoo."

"Who would know?" Lena asked eagerly.

"The charge nurse—Zach Stevens. Good luck getting him to give you any information."

Lena knew Zach. He was an ex-army corpsman who'd gotten his nursing degree after serving two tours in Iraq. He ran the ER like he was still there, and he wasn't going to give her anything. What she needed was a little official weight if she wanted to ferret out details about a patient. What she needed was a cop. "Thanks anyhow, Seth."

"Sorry I can't be of more help."

"No problem." Lena walked outside to use her cell phone. She called Stef Foster's number again and got the same dispatcher. She hung up. Since Vampires didn't sleep at night, Lena figured the detective was out somewhere.

So where would a Vampire be at four a.m. on her night off? Only one place came to mind.

* * *

Bo returned to her post on the porch to guard the door to the infirmary. Leaving Ashley in danger was physically painful. Her skin beaded with sweat as her wolf savaged her, demanding to return to the Alpha's side. It took every bit of her control to stay outside, and she was barely able to restrain her aggression. Snarling, ready to fight, she whirled toward the sound of someone approaching.

Lauren stepped into a circle of starlight at the bottom of the stairs. Unlike Bo, who was still shirtless and barefoot in leather pants, Lauren wore a scooped-neck tee and low-rider jeans. A swath of smooth skin glimmered between the bottom of her tee and the waistband of her pants. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a careless ponytail, heightening the angular beauty of her features. In pelt she was a pure white wolf with striking amber eyes. Smaller than Bo, fine boned and lithe. Quick on the hunt. Bo always ran with the Alpha, but she was always aware of Lauren whenever she ran with the Pack.

"I need to go back inside," Lauren said quietly as she climbed the steps.

"No." Bo didn't move, but the dominance in her voice made Lauren stop abruptly.

Lauren let her gaze drift across Bo's face, searching but not long enough to challenge. Bo's eyes were bright with pain, the bones in her face on the verge of morphing. She was in agony, and there was nothing Lauren could do to help her. "Bo, I can't leave Chelsea alone any longer. I need to help her."

"It's not safe," Bo growled.

"No," Lauren said softly, resting her fingers on Bo's rigid forearm. "It isn't. Please let me go inside."

Bo trembled at the gentle touch. Her wolf stopped pacing and tilted her head, as if listening for a long-awaited call in the night. "I can't. The Alpha has ordered that no one is to go in."

"Spencer will die, Bo."

"Good. She should." Bo shook off Lauren's hand. "Go."

Lauren was not submissive, not in the ordinary sense of pack hierarchy. She could have resisted Bo's command, at least long enough to argue. But she knew if she tried, Bo _would_ dominate her, and at a terrible cost when her wolf was already straining to break free. Lauren couldn't bear to add to her pain, so she turned and silently slipped into the dark.

* * *

The huge lot in front of Club Gray was jammed, and despite the late hour, cars still streamed in off the four-lane highway that formed an invisible barricade between the waterfront and the rest of the city. Lena parked on the shoulder. She didn't want to get blocked in, and she'd rather take her chances sprinting across the lot for a quick getaway than risk being stuck in her car like a land-bound turtle. Not that she had any real reason to think she'd be in danger. Gray was part of her crime beat and she couldn't ever remember anything seriously bad being reported at the club. As she picked her way across the cracked and uneven pavement toward the dark sprawling edifice, it occurred to her that there might not be any crimes reported because the patrons volunteered for whatever happened to them inside.

Lena was surprised to see the club nearly full, even though post-Exodus the Vampire clubs could stay open all night. Most closed at sunrise, but not this one. In contrast to the bleak exterior, the interior was elegant and upscale. The beaten-tin ceiling was easily twenty-five feet high. Wall sconces cast muted cones of light into the cavernous space, leaving much of the room in pools of shadow. Many of the scattered glass and chrome tables, leather chairs, and sprawling leather sectionals were occupied by couples or groups who appeared to be having a very good time. She tried not to stare while wending her way to the bar that ran along one entire wall, but she could hardly avoid noticing the exposed bodies along the way. A male Vampire cradled a young woman in his lap, feeding from her neck while another woman knelt beside them and fondled the girl's breasts through the open laces of her skimpy leather bustier. The girl's face was a study in sensual bliss—her head thrown back, her eyes closed, her lips parted as if waiting for a kiss. Two female Vampires caressed a man stretched out on a leather sofa as they fed at his neck and groin, while next to them three male Vampires and a human female writhed in a constantly changing configuration of arms and legs and genitalia.

"I'll have a vodka tonic," Lena said when she finally reached the shining black granite-topped bar. The bartender, a bald macho type with a glinting diamond stud in his right earlobe, a mass of tattoos on his chest and arms, and multiple punctures in his neck took his time looking her over. Lena stared at him, refusing to be intimidated by his blatant sexual appraisal.

"You look like a virgin."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've never been bitten, have you?"

"Is that a prerequisite for getting a drink?" Lena asked.

"Sightseeing can be a dangerous pastime." He turned around, mixed her drink, and put it down in front of her. He neglected to slip a cocktail napkin underneath. "Five bucks."

Lena put a twenty on the bar and continued to check out the room. She couldn't see everyone, even if she had wanted to look carefully, but she didn't immediately spy Detective Stef Foster anywhere. She should have been disappointed, but she was oddly relieved instead. She sipped the vodka tonic. It was decent.

"Have you seen Stef Foster?" Lena asked when the bartender came her way again.

He stopped and regarded her with a flicker of interest. "Why are you asking?"

"She's a friend." Lena didn't know how open Stef was about her job in this place, and she certainly wasn't about to announce she was a reporter.

"Down the far hall on the right. She likes the room on the end," the bartender said with a malicious edge to his voice.

"Thanks." Lena wondered if he thought she was the Vampire's girlfriend, or whatever the term would be, because he seemed to take pleasure in providing the information.

She worked her way around the edge of the room, preferring not to wade through the bacchanal again, and found the hall the bartender had indicated. A series of doors opened on either side of a long, narrow passageway. She made her way as quickly as possible through the clumps of humans and Vampires and others who were neither. Most were in the midst of sex and feeding.

Lena raised her hand to knock on the end door on the right when she realized the door was ajar. Pressing lightly with her fingertips, she edged it open a few more inches. Several muted recessed lights provided just enough illumination for her to make out the figures on the bed against one wall. Figures multiple, as in three. From her angle she could see the profiles of the two women who embraced in the center of the bed. Stef was still partially dressed in dark trousers and an unbuttoned white shirt that exposed a smooth pale torso and small round breasts that might have been carved from ivory, they appeared so perfect. The curvy young blonde who writhed in Stef's arms as they kissed was naked, one thigh thrown over Stef's hips. A man pressed against the blonde's back and angled his penis into her. He slowly thrust and withdrew with metronomic regularity, as if somehow detached from what was happening to the two women.

Mesmerized by the scene, Lena suddenly felt as if all her senses were heightened. The blonde's panting whimpers were as sharp and clear as if Lena had been holding the woman herself. When Stef cupped the blonde's breast and circled her erect pink nipple with her thumb, the woman's cry made Lena's sex clench. She imagined she could smell the blonde's arousal, feel the weight of her heavy breasts in her palm and the slick wetness of her sex rubbing against her thigh. She heard a dark murmur and saw the blonde nod vigorously. Stef's mouth was on her neck now and the blonde undulated even more frantically, driving her hips up and down on the phallus buried inside her.

Lena found herself breathing hard and forcibly quieted herself. The deep murmur came again, and Lena realized Stef was asking the blonde a question. The blonde clutched a hand between Stef's legs, gripping her convulsively through the material of her trousers.

"Yes, God, yes. Bite me," the blonde wailed. "Please, do it now. I want to come."

Stef dragged the blonde's hand from between her legs and kept a grip on her wrist, holding the searching hand away from her body. When she reared back for a fraction of a second, Lena caught a glimpse of the crimson glow of her eyes and her gleaming white incisors. Her expression was one of unbridled hunger and fierce need.

Stef plunged her mouth against the blonde's neck.

"Oh, oh my God!" the blonde screamed, jerking as if electrocuted. "Oh my God, I'm coming. Ohhhh, I'm coming."

Her hips thrashed wildly, her fingers clenching and unclenching, unable to break Stef's restraining grip. The man, lost in the furor, groaned and went rigid. Lena registered the look of ecstasy on the blonde's face as her cries gave way to whimpers, but Stef was the focus of her attention. Stef's eyes slowly closed as she fed, her throat working convulsively. Her long, slender fingers trembled on the blonde's breast. Her pelvis jerked each time she swallowed. She was coming. Each time the blonde's blood filled her, she twitched with another orgasmic spasm.

Lena gripped the doorjamb, her clitoris rioting. The sounds, the scents, the sight of Stef in blood thrall were so exciting she thought she might come. She imagined sliding her hand down the pale, sculpted surface of Stef's abdomen and holding her sex while she came in fitful wave after wave. Lena's sex twitched with a rapid-fire series of near orgasms, and her legs buckled. Only her death grip on the door frame kept her upright.

Stef heard a strangled moan from the direction of the hall and dragged her mouth away from the blonde's throat. She licked the punctures closed.

"Oh, don't stop," the blonde keened, grabbing Stef's head when Stef released her wrist. She tried to pull Stef's mouth back to her neck. "It feels so good. So good. Don't stop. Take more."

"No," Stef said through gritted teeth. Her sex still throbbed, she still hungered, but she'd have to take the man if she wanted to keep feeding. The blonde had given enough, and even though Stef was certain the pair would be happy to couple again while she fed from him, she was more interested in the woman standing in the doorway. She pushed free of the blonde's grasping hands and sat up on the side of the bed, gripping the mattress while she subdued her lingering bloodlust. When she was no longer shaking with hunger, she looked over at Lena. She'd known Lena was there from the moment she'd arrived, had scented Lena's growing excitement as she'd watched. When Stef had finally fed on the blonde, she'd climaxed in the heat of blood thrall with Lena's essence flooding her consciousness. "Enjoy yourself?"

Lena gasped, her expression startled, as if she'd been awakened from a dream. "I need to talk to you."

"That's all?"

Backing quickly into the hall, Lena breathed deeply and tried to get control of her out-of-control body. Jesus, what had just happened? She couldn't believe she'd stood there watching three strangers have sex and pretty much come herself in the process. She kept seeing Stef Foster's refined features contort with need, and then the incredible beauty of her pleasure as she came, over and over, while she fed. Lena had never before seen anything so powerful, and she couldn't help but envision how it must feel to be the focus of that ferocity. Her belly warmed to the image and she found herself struggling to clear her head once again.

Stef stepped out of the room, her shirt neatly tucked into her pants but still open to the waist, exposing the alabaster curves of her breasts. "You wanted me?"

Lena quickly looked away and said unnecessarily, "The door was open."

"We encourage participants. You could have joined us."

Lena's face flamed and she wondered if it showed in the dim hallway. "Are you trying to shock me? Or insult me?"

"You don't look offended," Stef murmured.

"Who are they?" Lena asked, the reporter in her getting the best of her.

Stef smiled, an indulgent, amused smile. "Just a couple looking for an adventure. I didn't ask their names."

"And that doesn't bother you? Being used to fulfill some stranger's sex quirk?" Lena wasn't certain why she was angry. What did she care if that blonde had just had the best orgasm of her life and probably given her boyfriend-slash-husband the best fuck of his while Stef took her pleasure with strangers?

"I was hungry. I fed," Stef said, her eyes turning opaque, a bottomless darkness that Lena found both frightening and compelling. "I don't get sentimental about my meals."

"And the sex?" Lena whispered, remembering how alone Stef had seemed, coming without being touched. How she'd almost done the same.

"I'm a Vampire," Stef said coolly. "When I feed, all of my needs are satisfied. It's as simple as that."

"If you say so."

"What are you doing here?" Stef took Lena's arm and walked her down the hallway, warning off the Vampires who reached out with invitations along the way with a low hiss.

"I heard there might be a patient with Were fever in the ER, but I can't confirm," Lena said. "I thought maybe you might be able to."

"How good is your information?"

"An anonymous source. But the ER clerk told me enough to make me think it's accurate." Lena sidled around a male Vampire feeding from a human male. The man wore the same ecstatic expression as the blonde with Stef. Lena averted her gaze, but not before she saw the Vampire's hips thrust as Stef's had while she was feeding. The Vampire's hand was inside the man's fly, masturbating him.

"Is your choice of…partners…sexual?" Lena asked.

"Some of us prefer hosts of a particular sex," Stef said, "if the choice is available. If not…" She lifted her shoulder. "Blood is blood."

Lena wanted to ask more, fascinated and repelled and strangely excited, but they'd reached the main bar and conversation was impossible. The room was a seething mass of hosts and Vampires, and all the Vampires were feeding. The space was awash in sex and blood.

"What's happening?" Lena gasped.

"Sunrise is less than an hour away. The risen Vampires will need to be underground soon." Stef slid her arm around Lena's waist and made a path for them toward the door. "Come on. You should not be here this late at night unless you intend to host."

"Can't I say no?"

"Can you?" Stef slowed and, when she captured Lena's gaze, loosened the hold she'd been keeping on her hunger. Lena's eyes glazed and her lips parted, her breath coming faster. Stef's need lashed through her so swiftly her incisors bulged from their sheaths and her sex beat in time to the pulse pounding in Lena's throat. She very nearly gave in, jerking her gaze away with a snarl.

"Oh my God," Lena murmured, stumbling slightly as Stef tugged her through the crowd. She'd wanted Stef to take her. She wanted Stef inside her, and she wanted Stef to take her inside. To feed from her. Her whole body still ached from the intensity of her wanting. "I would have let you."

"I know, and I am still living. Even a newly risen is stronger than I am, and the room is filled with risen Vampires who must feed to survive."

"Don't ever do that to me again." Lena was furious and afraid and incredibly aroused. "I choose who I sleep with."

Stef's expression was unreadable. "It was a demonstration, not an invitation."

Lena clamped her teeth together to stifle a curse. She needed to work with this egotistical Vampire, at least for the time being. "Are you going to help me or not?"

"I'm going to do my job," Stef said coolly. She pushed through the door and dragged Lena out into the night. "You should go home."

"It's my lead." Lena jerked her hand away. "You owe me, damn it."

Stef laughed and shook her head. "I'll call you if I learn anything."

"No way. I'm coming with you."

"You'll have to wait outside while I interview the staff."

Lena started to protest, but Stef was already walking away.

"Take it or leave it, Ms. Adams." Stomping toward her car, Lena muttered, "Thanks a lot, you son of a bitch."

From across the lot, Stef called, "You're welcome."

Lena had forgotten Stef could probably hear a conversation two blocks away. She slammed into her car, the Vampire's mocking laughter ringing in her ears.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Spencer lay naked on the bed, her body covered in a sheen of sweat, the muscles in her arms and legs standing out in rigid relief. Suddenly, her back bowed and her face became a contorted tableau of agony. Chelsea knelt by her side and wiped her face with an iced cloth.

Ashley prowled the edges of the room, barely able to watch Chelsea touch Spencer. Rationally, she knew Chelsea wasn't hurting her, but she was beyond rational thought. Even when her mother had been murdered and grief and rage had burned through her like an inferno, she'd been able to control her beast. Now she wanted to attack anyone who came near Spencer. She stayed as far away from Chelsea as she could, but the more Spencer suffered, the closer she came to succumbing to her primitive instincts. She'd have to drive the medic from the room soon, or risk harming her.

"She's burning up," Chelsea said. "Come hold her arm down. I'm going to give her a sedative to see if I can calm her."

"What's happening?" Ashley demanded, her voice as rough as stone. She leaned over Spencer and gripped her left arm, pinning it to the bed. Spencer struggled underneath her, bucking and grinding, her slick torso and belly rubbing against Ashley's bare breasts and stomach. Spencer whined, her eyes glazed and unseeing. Ashley smelled pheromones and endorphins and kinins that were not quite human and not quite Were. "She's acting like she's in heat. Is it sex frenzy?"

"I don't know," Chelsea said. "I've never seen a human survive this long. But I do know her muscles are breaking down and the toxins are affecting her central nervous system." Chelsea jerked back when Spencer lashed out with her free arm, nearly striking her. She gave Ashley a regretful look. "We're going to need to restrain her soon."

"No," Ashley said.

"She's going to hurt herself. Or one of us."

"What about the medication to treat the hyperthermia? Can't you give her more?"

"Lauren said she's had the maximum dose. Any more and we might kill her."

Ashley growled, her facial bones shifting beneath her skin—elongating, growing heavy and blunt. Her vocal cords thickened almost to the point where she couldn't form words. "She's dying anyhow. Do something!"

"Alpha, there's nothing we can do!"

"Her wolf can heal her." Ashley's wild energy, bred of centuries of powerful Alphas, poured from every cell, soaking the room in aggression and wrath. Spencer thrashed frantically, an inarticulate cry wrenched from her chest. Blood trickled from her nose.

Terrified, Chelsea grasped Ashley's arm and tried to break her hold on Spencer's wrist. "Let her go! Your call is making her worse. She's too ill to shift."

"No! She has to complete the transition. It's the only thing that will save her." Ashley's claws erupted and blood scent rose in the air. Trembling with the effort not to attack Chelsea, she pointed to the door. "Leave us."

"What are you going to do?" Chelsea tried to insinuate her own body between Ashley and Spencer, even though she knew she was challenging the Alpha when Ashley was very near to losing control. "She's dangerous, Alpha. She's very strong to have lived this long. If she manages to shift and turns rabid…"

"_Go_," Ashley said in a tone that no wolf could disobey. Chelsea turned her head aside and closed her eyes. "As you wish, Alpha."

"Keep everyone away, especially Bo."

Chelsea started toward the door, then abruptly returned to Ashley.

"No, stay away from me." Ashley extended her arm in warning. "Chelsea, don't test me."

"I'm not afraid of you," Chelsea murmured as she skimmed her mouth along the edge of Ashley's jaw. "I love you. Be careful."

Ashley buried her face in Chelsea's hair, holding her tightly. "I love you." She kissed her temple. "Go now."

Chelsea caressed Ashley's face with trembling fingers before reluctantly leaving the room.

Ashley slowly approached the bed and knelt on the rough plank floor. Acting on pure instinct, she slid a hand behind Spencer's neck and one arm around her waist. Gently, she gathered her into her arms and skated her mouth over Spencer's cheek, tasting her. Oak and dark wine and midnight in the forest. She shuddered with a surge of primitive possession. Her wolf clawed and gnashed with a fierce need to protect. She wanted to destroy whatever was inside Spencer that threatened to take her away. She cradled Spencer's face against her chest and let her wolf rise.

"Ashley?" Spencer clutched Ashley's arms. "Ashley?"

"Yes," Ashley gritted her teeth, the frenzy tearing at her insides. She broke out in a sweat, drenched in pheromones and adrenaline. Her sex swelled, the deep-seated glands expanding so rapidly her clitoris erected painfully. She wanted to climb on top of Spencer and rub her sex all over her, but something far more primal than sex frenzy drove her. She wanted to dominate her, mark her with claws and teeth. The need to claim her was a fury in Ashley's blood. _Mine_.

Spencer's face twisted in pain. She opened her eyes and found Ashley's. She touched Ashley's face with the lightest of caresses. "Help me. Ashley…Alpha, help me."

And suddenly, Ashley understood in a place deep inside, deeper than thought or reason, what she must do. She was Alpha and Spencer was hers, as every wolf was hers, but more. She climbed onto the bed with Spencer in her arms and held her in her lap. Broadcasting all her power, she gave the order none of hers could resist. "Come to me, my wolf."

Spencer gasped, her arms and legs jerking with violent contractions. "Oh God," she screamed, "it hurts. It hurts."

Ashley's canines erupted and a trail of ebony streaked down the center of her abdomen. Her clitoris pounded, her sex glands pulsed. Her wolf was upon her. "Let her come, Spencer. Free her."

Blood flecked Spencer's mouth and her eyes rolled back. Ashley held Spencer tightly, feeling bones shifting beneath her hands. A glimmer of lustrous pelt rippled beneath Spencer's skin, but still, she did not shift. Crimson rivers flowed from Spencer's mouth onto her neck and chest. Her rasping breaths stuttered and abruptly stopped. Ashley snarled, furious at being disobeyed. She clasped the back of Spencer's neck, her claws puncturing the skin, and shook her. "You will not die! _Shift_."

Spencer thrashed, screaming, lethal canines erupting and lacerating her lower lip. Short, sharp claws tore through her fingertips and she scored Ashley's back and shoulders in a mindless frenzy. Ashley's wolf gnashed her teeth, enraged, demanding to dominate, to claim. Ashley flung Spencer onto her back and straddled her stomach. She snarled in Spencer's face.

"_Shift_."

Spencer lashed out with unexpected strength and buried her canines in Ashley's chest, just above her breast. Ashley's vision hazed to red. Her sex glands exploded, pheromones pumped from every cell, and she came with a roar. She doubled over in an ecstasy of pain and pleasure, Spencer's mouth still at her breast. In the fleeting second before her wolf burst free, her eyes met Spencer's and she saw triumph in the black-gold gleam of Spencer's eyes. Howling in a fury of orgasm, Ashley curled protectively around the sterling silver wolf who shivered against her belly.

Exhausted, Ashley panted, her limbs twitching, her hips still flexing uncontrollably. Spencer? She nuzzled the wolf's neck and whined worriedly. _Spencer, can you hear me?_

The silver wolf licked her face in answer.

Ashley sighed and rested her muzzle on top of Spencer's shoulder, tucking Spencer's head securely beneath her chin. The frenzy was gone. She felt satisfied, content. Spencer was safe, and she would keep her that way.

* * *

Bo was driven to her knees by a barrage of power that blasted from the infirmary. Then she heard Ashley roar in agony. Ashley was in danger. The Alpha needed her. She burst inside and raced down the hall.

Chelsea blocked the door to Spencer's room. "You can't—"

"Move," Bo shouted.

"No." Chelsea braced her back against the closed door.

Driven by instinct, Bo was past reason, and Chelsea was preventing her from getting to her Alpha. Bo grabbed Chelsea's shoulders and jerked her aside. Chelsea cried out and blood welled beneath Bo's hands where her claws gouged flesh. Before Bo could force her way into the sickroom, she was tackled and knocked violently to the floor. She landed on her back, a knee driving into her stomach and an arm crushing her throat. An enraged male with canines flashing snarled in her face. Hale. Chelsea's mate.

"Hale," Chelsea cried. "No."

Bo locked on Hale's face and let her eyes go wolf. He was a beta Were, far less dominant than her. He was challenging her, preventing her from protecting the Alpha. She would kill him. She showed her canines in warning.

"Bo!" Lauren cried, dropping to her knees beside the struggling pair. She had heard the snarls and growls from across the courtyard in the barracks where she'd been waiting for word of Spencer and come running. "Hale is protecting his mate. Bo, he's protecting Chelsea."

Bo ignored Lauren, her gaze locked on Hale. Hale didn't relent, holding the challenge. Bo's eyes burned amber brown. Hale wasn't strong enough to fight her in skin form, and he wasn't dominant enough to shift quickly. But Bo didn't need to shift—she could snap his neck with her bare hands. She gathered herself to throw him off, to kill him and restore order.

Panicked, Chelsea wrapped her arms around Hale's shoulders from behind and pressed her cheek to the top of his head. Her voice quavered. "Hale, darling. Release the _imperator_. Please, darling. Let her go."

"Bo, it's the mate bond," Lauren whispered, her mouth close to Bo's ear, her breath soft and warm. She slipped her arm between Hale and Bo and rubbed Bo's chest and belly. "He's not challenging you."

Bo growled. "Let me go."

"No," Lauren murmured. She licked Bo's neck. Bo tasted wild and hot, her aggression so high Lauren wanted to roll onto her back and give Bo her belly. She wanted Bo to climb onto her and take her. She tried to keep her focus on calming Bo and saving Hale's life. "I know you want to fight, but you don't need to. You absorbed the Alpha's call, Bo—that's what's making you wild. You don't need to fight Hale."

Bo shuddered, Lauren's caresses dulling the pain she'd been carrying since Ashley locked herself in with Spencer, putting herself in danger and refusing Bo's protection.

"Tell Hale that Chelsea will be safe," Lauren urged, rubbing her cheek on Bo's. She pressed her breasts gently against Bo's arm, and when Bo shuddered again, stroked her fingertips down the indentation dividing Bo's rigid abs, tracing the feathery line of pelt that disappeared inside her waistband. "You don't want to hurt him."

Lauren's lips were soft against Bo's face. So soft. Lauren's touch soothed her raging wolf. Bo sought Lauren's eyes. They were tender. Strong. "Lauren?"

Lauren smiled as Bo's eyes shifted back to a bronzed hazel. "Hey. You scared Hale. Tell him it's all right."

"The Alpha—"

"I know." Lauren brushed the corner of Bo's mouth with hers. "Take care of the others first. That's what the Alpha would want."

Bo closed her eyes and turned her face into Lauren's palm, breathing her scent. Sunshine and saplings. Fresh and pure. Then she caught Hale's gaze.

"Stand down, wolf. Your mate will come to no harm." Bo's throat ached from the weight of Hale's arm. She felt Lauren's mouth on her neck, just the flick of her tongue, and the pain lessened.

Hale released the pressure on Bo's neck and slid off, kneeling beside her, his head bowed. Chelsea pulled him back and slowly edged between him and Bo, watching Bo carefully. She would protect her mate with as much ferocity as he had protected her.

Lauren lingered by Bo's side, overwhelmed by a powerful need to comfort her. Bo had almost been driven feral with the strain of absorbing the Alpha's furious call. Bo was suffering and Lauren couldn't bring herself to stop touching her. Her fingertips were suddenly damp and she realized Bo's skin was sex-sheened. She was caressing a dominant Were and Bo was responding to her unintended invitation. Lauren hastily removed her hand from Bo's belly and jumped to her feet.

Bo rose as Lauren retreated. She throbbed with endorphins and adrenaline, pulsing with sex frenzy, but she had other duties before she could find a female for a tangle. She turned her back to Lauren and gently cupped Chelsea's chin. Chelsea's blouse was blood streaked on both shoulders. "Are you badly hurt?"

"No. Your claws just caught me—it's nothing serious," Chelsea said.

Rumbling quietly, Hale pulled Chelsea into his arms, her back to his chest, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He buried his face in her neck.

"I'm sorry." Bo rubbed the backs of her fingers over Chelsea's cheek, careful not to linger and set Hale off again. He would be desperate to claim her, to assure himself his mate was safe. The smallest thing would incite him until he'd taken her. "I didn't intend to hurt you. But I have to see Ashley."

"Bo…_Imperator_…the Alpha said no one was to enter."

Bo clenched her fists and glowered at the closed door, blood flowing onto the floor as her claws sliced into her palms. "Did you hear her? Something's wrong."

"I'm not so certain," Lauren said, carefully keeping distance between her and Bo. "I sense…calm. I think the Alpha's storm has passed."

"I don't…" Bo took a deep breath, testing the air. Beneath the lingering frenzy, she detected a scent she didn't recognize. A wolf? She shook her head, perplexed and uneasy. She went to the door. "I need to be sure."

* * *

Bo heard a low warning growl as soon as she opened the door. Quickly, she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, putting a protective barrier between the Weres outside in the hall and whatever danger lurked in this room. Her breath came faster as she took in the scene on the bed. A huge black wolf crouched over a large sleeping silver one, guarding her.

Teeth bared, Ashley growled again, her eyes glinting dangerously.

Slowly, Bo knelt down, careful not to look into the Alpha's eyes. "Are you all right?"

_Yes_.

Bo licked her lips, her throat dry. "Spencer?"

_She will be fine. _

Bo wasn't convinced, but she knew better than to challenge Ashley now.

"What would you have me do?"

_I scent your frenzy. What of your need? _

"I need to be here."

_And I need you with me. Join us. _

Spencer might wake up rabid and savage her, but Bo would die before she would disobey her Alpha. She shifted and padded to the bed. Carefully, she jumped up and curled around Ashley's hindquarters, resting her chin on Ashley's flank. She whined and Ashley took her muzzle in her mouth, biting gently before letting go. Instantly, the pain of the last few hours disappeared and the frenzy eased. She was by Ashley's side, where she belonged. Bo was at peace. She closed her eyes, her belly warmed by the Alpha's heat, but the burning lower in her loins reminded her of the soft caress of a white wolf with brilliant brown eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Lena parked in the loading zone across from the ER entrance and waited while Stef went inside to question the staff. For the first ten minutes, she watched the slow trickle of people passing in and out of the big sliding glass doors and tried not to think about what she'd just experienced at Gray. She'd thought she had known what to expect in the Vampire club, but she was beginning to realize there was a lot humans didn't know about the Praetern species. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how few details of their social orders the Praeterns had revealed. In her research she'd found plenty of information on Praetern business and commercial ventures, but nothing on matters of health, sex, or procreation. Maybe they thought humans would accept them more readily if they minimized their differences and emphasized their importance in the economic strata. Maybe they were right.

She hadn't been surprised by the fluid sexuality of the Vampires, but she'd been caught off guard by her own reactions. She'd always considered herself pretty adventurous, even though she'd never really gotten into multiple partners and had been exclusive with women since her teens, so she couldn't quite figure out why she got so turned on watching Stef with the human couple. Even harder to understand was why she kept imagining holding Stef in her arms while Stef fed from the blonde and climaxed in the grip of blood thrall. Lena shivered and rubbed her arms. Agitated, aroused, confused, she yanked open the car door and climbed out. She checked her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed. She paced beside her vintage Impala. She'd give the Vampire five more minutes and then she was going in after her.

"I don't know why I agreed to stay out here anyhow. Dictatorial Vampire," Lena muttered, reaching the end of her car and whipping around to start back the other way. She collided with a stone wall and stared into the amused coal black eyes of the Vampire in question. Lena's breasts flattened against Stef's chest and her nipples hardened instantly. Lena sucked in a breath. "Where did you come from?"

Stef skimmed her hands down Lena's arms and moved her back an inch. Her eyes flickered with pinpoints of crimson, like sparks drifting into the night sky. "The ER."

"I've been watching the door. You weren't there a second ago."

"Human vision relies on detecting light displacement. If the dispersion is too rapid, nothing registers." Stef lightly clasped Lena's upper arms and massaged Lena's biceps with her thumbs. Lena's body was warm. She'd felt the heat against her chest through the thin silk of Lena's blouse. She savored Lena's scent, aware of the bloodlust stirring but doing nothing to temper it. Indulging herself by toying with a human who wasn't prepared to host was a dangerous game to play, because sex and blood were inextricably bound in the Vampire psyche. Especially hers. The older or stronger the Vampire, the greater the blending of the two. Stef was a pre-animate, but her father was one of the most powerful Vampires in existence and her lineage was ancient. Even living, her drives were strong and her power to enthrall nearly as strong as a risen Vampire's. The great arteries in Lena's neck bounded with excitement, with life. Stef's incisors slid from their sheaths.

Lena was captivated by the flames dancing in Stef's eyes. She leaned into her, her breasts and belly and thighs cleaving to Stef's slender frame. Stef's full lips parted and Lena saw a hint of fangs hidden behind them. Stef Foster gave the phrase playing with fire a whole new meaning.

"They're not always so visible," Lena said, drawing her fingertip over Stef's lower lip. The thought that she had excited Stef excited her. She liked feeling a little reckless. "Let me see."

"Careful what you wish for," Stef murmured.

"I told you not to enthrall me."

"I'm not."

"How do I know you're not doing something to me right now?" Lena whispered. "How do I know anything I feel with you is real?"

Stef's eyes blanked, the flat black of an endless well. Suddenly she was a foot away, not touching Lena. Lena hadn't seen her move.

"You don't," Stef said. "Haven't you heard you should never trust a Vampire?"

"Did you learn anything inside?" Lena asked abruptly, pretending she didn't miss the feel of that lithe body against hers. She resented being so effortlessly turned on and as easily rejected. The Vampire wasn't interested in her, only her blood.

Stef laughed. "Back to business, huh?"

"Don't flatter yourself. It's always been just business."

Annoyed at Lena's cool tone and determined to maintain control over the case they seemed to be sharing, Stef said, "Come to breakfast with me. I'll fill you in."

"Breakfast? You mean food?" Lena said before she could stop herself.

"I eat food." Stef's gaze dropped to Lena's mouth. "I'll feed later."

Feeling churlish at the idea of Stef seeking more sex, Lena said disdainfully, "The blonde wasn't enough?"

"I have a healthy appetite for some things." Stef turned and started toward the street. "Coming?"

Lena caught up to her and fell into step. The sun was already bright at six a.m. Stef put on sunglasses, turned the collar up on her white shirt, and put her hands in her pants pockets. Lena glanced at her worriedly. "How long can you…"

"Be in the sun?" Stef asked.

"Yes."

"After five or ten minutes of summer sunlight I'll start to burn—"

Lena gasped.

The corner of Stef's mouth twitched. "Sunburn—not conflagration. I'd have to be staked out in direct light for an hour or more before cellular breakdown would begin. After two hours, combustion."

"And you still walk around out here after sunrise? That's crazy," Lena said, her heart skittering painfully in her chest. "What if you get in an accident and can't reach shelter!"

"I'll have millennia to live by starlight alone," Stef said quietly. "I'll take what time I have in the sun."

Lena thought she detected a note of sadness, but she knew that couldn't be true. Foster didn't seem capable of that emotion. She saw the detective reach for the diner door to hold it open for her and got to it first. She walked in ahead of Stef and intentionally picked a booth across from the windows, but out of the sunlight. As soon as the waitress poured their coffee and left, she removed her recorder from her bag.

"Off the record," Stef said.

"That wasn't our deal."

"Our deal was I would give you something when I had something." Stef sipped her coffee, enjoying the way Lena's jaw tightened and her skin flushed a richer shade of mocha. Most humans were afraid of challenging her. In fact most would do anything to avoid engaging with her at all. Lena was an intriguing change. "I don't have anything yet except conjecture."

Lena closed her fist around her recorder and leaned across the table until only an inch separated them. "Don't play games with me, Vampire. I'm not some brainless twit who's dying to offer up my blood so you can get off."

"Are you sure?" Stef said, her voice low and seductive. "Because you certainly seemed to enjoy it earlier this morning."

"Just business, remember?" Lena couldn't remember now what she'd found so attractive about this controlling, infuriating Vampire, or why on earth she cared if the arrogant fool wanted to tempt fate and walk around in the sun. "I kept my end of the bargain. Or did I make a mistake trusting you to keep your word?"

Stef's eyes erupted into a fiery red so hot Lena reflexively leaned back.

"Careful, Lena," Stef said, her voice ice. "I'm not some harmless house pet you can tease for your amusement. Remember, I bite."

Exactly how she bit flashed through Lena's mind, and she forced the image away. "Then talk to me and I won't have to risk my virginity."

Stef's brows rose and she laughed. "I can see why you're good at your job."

"How do you know I am?"

"I follow your byline."

Inordinately pleased and chiding herself for the ridiculous response, Lena refused to react. "Give, Detective."

The waitress slid toast and eggs in front of both of them.

"Thank you," Stef said. She tore a slice of toast in half and buttered it. "A Jane Doe was dropped—literally—in front of the emergency room last night. Naked and unresponsive. She had a very high fever and almost immediately went into convulsions."

"Jesus," Lena whispered. "No recorder, but I have to take some notes." She found her pad and paper. "Go ahead. What happened?"

"Unfortunately, the girl—and it was a girl, a teenager—died despite efforts to resuscitate her."

"Was the Alpha notified?" Lena scribbled teenager and circled it.

"Not that I'm aware of."

Lena looked up, frowning. "Why not?"

Stef regarded Lena silently.

"What? What aren't you tell—" Lena caught her breath. "Because the girl wasn't a Were, was she?"

"I can't confirm that one way or the other. I'll need to follow up with the coroner on COD as well."

"What does it mean?" Lena rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "If she's human, it can't be Were fever, can it? But my source said—"

"Tell me about this source," Stef interrupted sharply.

Lena sat back in the seat. "You know I can't do that."

"Male or female?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Even if I was, I wouldn't say."

Stef hissed in frustration. "How do you contact—them?"

"I don't. I get a phone call."

"Saying what?"

Lena blew out a breath. "That a patient with Were fever had been brought to the emergency room."

"And you don't find it suspicious that they know this?"

"Of course I do, but it could be anyone," Lena argued. "An ambulance driver. Someone in the hospital. A friend of the girl's. The point is, the call was accurate."

"Someone wants the press to know about this," Stef said, "and he, or she, is counting on you to make that happen. Why?"

"I don't know," Lena said. "But I'm willing to bet that Ashley Davies does."

"Then I guess I'll be talking to her," Stef said.

"I'm going with you."

"I don't think so."

Lena reached across the table and grasped Stef's wrist. She felt as if she were gripping carved marble. Smooth, hard, cool. "I will, with you or without you. But if I go on my own, I'm not going to share."

"I work alone. And even if I didn't, you're a reporter."

"I'm an investigative reporter. I work with the police all the time. This isn't even an active crime case yet."

Stef shook her head and pulled a slim black leather wallet from her pants pocket. She placed several bills on the table. "The next time you decide to visit Gray, make sure you have an escort."

"I don't need anyone to protect me. Least of all you."

"You do if you're going back there again." Stef slid out of the booth and leaned over Lena, bracing one hand on the table and her arm along the back of the booth, caging Lena in. "I can smell your hunger. I might not take you without your consent, but there are plenty of others who would consider your being at the club consent enough."

"My consent is one thing you'll never have," Lena said, refusing to back away even though Stef's mouth was almost on her neck.

"Have a nice day, Ms. Adams," Stef said.

Then she was simply—gone. Lena jumped up and searched the length of the diner, but the Vampire had vanished.

"Nice try," Lena muttered as she stormed out to the street. "You'll have to work harder than that if you want to scare me away."

Stef, watching from the shadows of a tree-shrouded second-floor balcony on the opposite side of the street, smiled at Lena's words. She didn't want to frighten her away. She wanted to taste her. But she wanted to be invited to satisfy Lena's hunger, and Lena had made it clear she would never offer.

* * *

Spencer knew she was dreaming when she opened her eyes in a forest glade dappled with sunshine. The world burst upon her in a kaleidoscope of scents and sounds—the rush of leaves fluttering in the breeze, the whir of thousands of insect wings, the pungent scent of wildlife and growing things. She felt so alive, such a sense of wonder, she wanted to dance. She wanted to run. She wanted to share this perfect moment, but she was alone. So alone.

She trembled, aching with a vast and terrifying sense of emptiness. She whimpered, lost and uncertain.

"It's all right," a deep, gentle voice whispered.

Strong arms clasped her tightly, drawing her against a sleek, muscled body. Spencer rumbled with pleasure and she pressed her hips into the curve of the pelvis cinched against her ass. A low growl from behind her struck fire in her core and her belly knotted. Pressure ballooned in her sex and a bolt of pain exploded between her legs.

"What's happening," she groaned.

"Your body is adjusting to the change."

"Ashley?"

Ashley kissed the back of Spencer's neck. "Yes."

Spencer felt another hand caress her thigh and then a warm cheek rested on her hip.

"Who?"

"That's Bo," Ashley whispered. "We're Pack. We'll look after you."

"I feel strange. I hurt…inside. I want…I'm not sure…" Spencer reached back and slid her hand down the hard abdomen curved against her back. She feathered her fingertips over a thin line of soft pelt low down in the center of Ashley's belly and followed it to a firm ridge. She pressed and Ashley groaned. Bo growled a warning. Spencer stiffened, anger making every hair on her body stand up. She made a low threatening sound deep in her chest.

"We have to leave you for a while," Ashley said, loosening her hold and edging away. "Your wolf needs time to find her feet."

Spencer rolled onto her back, breathing hard. Bo, naked, sat up on the end of the bed. Her wary eyes never left Spencer as Spencer focused on Ashley.

"My wolf?"

"You turned, Spencer. I'll explain later. Right now, our medic Chelsea needs to see you."

"Wait." Spencer grabbed Ashley's arm.

In a flash, Bo loomed over Spencer on all fours, her lips pulled back to expose her canines. Bo scraped her teeth down Spencer's neck, leaving a thin trail of blood. "Release the Alpha, whelp."

"I'm sorry." Spencer pressed both hands flat to the mattress and met Bo's gaze. When Bo growled she wanted to growl back. Rage swiftly engulfed her and she envisioned tearing into Bo's throat. She turned her head away, confused.

"Ease away, _Imperator_," Ashley said, running her fingers through Bo's hair before stroking her rigid back. "She'll learn."

Snarling, Bo slowly lifted her weight off Spencer but crouched nearby, still poised to strike.

Spencer arched as a spasm cramped her lower abdomen. She flushed and sweat broke over her. "It's starting again."

"No, this is not the fever. Your system is flooded with hormones from the transition." Ashley cradled Spencer's jaw and rubbed her thumb over the corner of her mouth. "You'll be all right, Spencer. You're Pack and we will all protect you."

"Please…can you stay?" Spencer whispered.

Ashley shuddered, her wolf strafing her soul in a fury. _Take_ _her_. Forcing herself to leave her when what she wanted was to mark her, Ashley rose and held out her arm to Bo. "I can't."

Spencer curled on her side and watched Ashley and Bo disappear, more alone than she'd ever been in her life.


	21. Chapter 21

**Rated M**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Wait for me outside," Ashley said to Bo. "I want to run."

Bo regarded the closed door to Spencer's room. "You're not going back in there?"

"Not now. She needs to be with a beta Were, someone who won't incite her dominance instincts."

"Like us."

Ashley hadn't felt a challenge from Spencer, but Bo didn't need to know that. She tilted her head toward the porch. "Go. Then we'll run."

"Yes, Alpha." Bo cast one more uneasy glance at the door, then loped off.

Ashley followed Chelsea's scent to the room the medic used when she stayed in the infirmary to be close to her patients. Before she could knock, Chelsea opened the door. Hale stood behind her, his arms loosely clasping her hips. He was shirtless. Chelsea wore loose pale cotton scrubs. Both had fading bite marks at the juncture of neck and shoulder.

"Spencer is awake," Ashley said. "She's loaded with endorphins and pheromones. She almost challenged Bo."

"She is dominant, then," Chelsea murmured, absently running her nails up and down Hale's arms. He rumbled and caught her earlobe in his teeth. "Is she showing signs of frenzy?"

Ashley remembered Spencer's hand caressing her abdomen, exploring her clitoris with her fingertips. She had come instantly erect and was still fully ready to release. "She might be soon, and she doesn't understand what's happening."

"She can't. She's like an adolescent in a constant state of frenzy, but she's totally unprepared for it." Chelsea shook her head. "She must be in such pain." Chelsea gave Ashley a cautious look. "I can prepare her, but if she really is in frenzy, she's going to need release with another Were soon." Ashley growled.

"She's not ready."

"We don't know what she is," Chelsea argued. "She's unique in our experience."

Hale rubbed his chin on Chelsea's shoulder, a worried whine reverberating in his chest. "How do we know she won't attack Chelsea? I should go in with her."

"No, she's already confused and she'll want to dominate you," Chelsea said gently, reaching back to caress his neck. "I am mated, and her wolf will recognize that."

"We can't be sure," Hale protested.

"You can stay outside on the porch, where you can hear my call if I need help." Chelsea turned in his arms and nipped at his jaw. "You'll know if I'm in danger, mate."

Hale closed his eyes and lifted his chin so she could bite his neck. He grumbled his assent.

Ashley wrapped her arms around both of them, and Chelsea and Hale crowded against her. She stroked Chelsea's hair and cupped the back of Hale's neck. "Spencer might have the urges of an adolescent, but she isn't showing any signs of being rabid. I wouldn't let Chelsea go near her if I thought there was any danger."

"I'll go to her now," Chelsea said.

"Help her," Ashley ordered.

"And if she shows signs of needing true release?"

Ashley growled again, her claws jutting out. "Find her someone."

* * *

Bo jumped down from the railing where she'd been crouched, waiting for Ashley. The Alpha stormed through the door, her eyes already wolf-gold, her torso shimmering onyx. Bo focused on the two purple crescents above Ashley's breast that hadn't been evident when Ashley's wolf had been quieter.

"She bit you!"

"Let's run."

"Alpha," Bo cried. "She could have infected you!"

"She didn't," Ashley snapped, striding down the stairs toward the forest.

"You don't know that. She's dangerous!"

Ashley whipped around. "Enough!"

Bo stopped abruptly, her body quivering. "You smell like her."

"I'm covered in her scent from the transition. It's nothing." Ashley wrapped her arms around Bo's shoulders and leaned down until their eyes held. "Save yourself for a true battle, _Imperator_. This is not your fight."

"You are my Alpha," Bo whispered.

"I am. And you are my second. The wolf of my heart." Ashley pulled Bo close and rubbed her chin on the top of her head. "We need to find out what's causing these fevers in humans and stop it before there's open season on Weres. I need you by my side, Bo, now more than ever."

Bo brushed her mouth over Ashley's chest, careful not to touch the bite mark. "Always, Alpha. Always."

* * *

"I'm the Pack medic," Chelsea said, slipping into Spencer's room and closing the door behind her. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not so sure." Spencer sat up with her back to the wall and tucked a sheet tightly around her hips. She'd never been particularly shy or self-conscious, but her body didn't feel like hers. When she'd first awakened with Ashley and Bo pressed close against her, she'd been comforted. But she'd been aroused too, painfully so, and when she'd been compelled to touch Ashley, her excitement had been unbearable. She was still intensely aroused.

Chelsea smelled good. And she was beautiful. Her delicate features were framed by thick, long black curls that Spencer wanted to run her hands through. Chelsea was petite but full-bodied, with luscious breasts and hips. Spencer imagined skimming her mouth over the curves of her breasts and down the center of her gently rounded belly. Her clitoris jutted out and she growled softly.

"I don't think you should be in here," Spencer said.

Chelsea leaned back against the door, watching Spencer carefully. "Ashley says your wolf is challenging you."

"Something is." Spencer laughed shakily. Her stomach ached as if she were hungry, but for much more than food. When she ran her hand down the center of her abdomen, her skin felt different. More sensitive. Her muscles were tighter, harder. Her loins twinged and she winced with another sharp pain between her legs. "I'm…I'm having some control problems."

"You're an adult Were with an adolescent's appetites and urges," Chelsea said calmly. "It's going to take a while for your wolf to find her balance. You're likely to respond to every Were who gets close to you at first."

"Everyone?" Spencer asked. "I've never been attracted to males. Will that change?"

"Most of our young will couple freely until their late teens, when some become exclusive with one sex. You're already an adult, so you may not find the males of interest now."

"So I'll only be aroused by every female I pass?" Spencer thought of Bo naked and pressed against her, but Ashley had been the one she had wanted to touch. Ashley's torso had been a landscape of perfect muscles sheathed in smooth skin and a tantalizing tease of silky pelt. She breathed sharply at the memory and caught Ashley's scent in the air. Her clitoris twitched and she had an overpowering urge for sex. She stared at Chelsea's breasts and her sex tightened. "This isn't good. I'm not going to be safe outside of this room."

"Not everyone will arouse you," Chelsea said with a smile. "Your wolf will quickly come to recognize the mated females, and you won't be drawn to us any longer. You may not find more dominant Weres arousing either."

Spencer immediately thought of her reaction to Ashley, but didn't say anything.

As if reading her mind, Chelsea said, "The Alpha is unmated. Until she forms a mate bond, all of us, even the mated ones, respond to her when her call is strong. It's the natural response of the Pack to their Alpha."

Spencer shifted restlessly, the sheet suddenly feeling constricting. The pain between her legs increased and she winced. She was terribly aroused but she didn't really think Chelsea was the object of her arousal. She was attractive, but Spencer wasn't drawn to her. Not the way she had been to Ashley. Ashley. Another spasm shot from between her legs. "Jesus, what's going on?"

"Your body has undergone a drastic, rapid transformation. You're being flooded with potent neurotransmitters. You're sexually aroused. It's normal."

"Something doesn't feel right. There's…pain."

"Lie down." Chelsea reached behind her and grasped the doorknob in case Spencer lost control. "I need to answer your questions."

Spencer stretched out on her back. Even the sheet made her skin ache and she kicked it away.

"Touch yourself," Chelsea said gently.

"You want me to masturbate?" Spencer turned her head to look at Chelsea.

"Your body needs to release."

"Is it safe…with you here? What if I…are you sure I won't become rabid?"

"You smell like a normal dominant. I'm not afraid of dominant Weres—even when we're not dominant we can reject a partner if we choose." Chelsea smiled. "It's why the dominants fight over us when we're in heat."

"Are you sure?" Spencer trembled with the primal need to take, to claim. The urge was so strong she could barely think.

"Go ahead," Chelsea said softly. "You want to, don't you?"

Spencer smoothed her hand down the center of her abdomen, getting used to the tightly packed muscles. Her curiosity helped her contain her excitement and she cautiously explored. When she reached the space between her thighs she cupped herself. She felt the same, only not quite. Her clitoris was positioned slightly higher, leaving it more exposed. She tentatively traced its length with her thumb and finger, retracting the thickened sheath to uncover the firm head. The shaft was thicker, harder than she was used to even when she was fully aroused. She massaged it from side to side and felt resistance, as if the central core was nearly rigid.

"What's inside?"

"Early in the development of our species, all Weres, including females, had a cartilaginous core in the phallus," Chelsea said. "The dominant females still have a very thin remnant. Feel lower, at the base. You'll have to press hard."

Spencer palpitated two olive-sized oval masses buried deep beneath her clitoris. When she touched them her hips jerked. Exquisitely tender and pleasurable. "What are they?"

"Sex glands," Chelsea said. "They produce victus, secretions of pheromones, kinins, and other chemicals, when we are aroused. They empty when we tangle—have sex—if suitably stimulated. The emissions are unique to each Were and help identify us to potential mates. Once mated, the chemical transmitters intermingle, identifying the mated pair to other Weres."

Spencer squeezed harder and her clitoris abruptly extended. The pain was sharp and swift. She sucked in her breath and yanked her hand away. The pain in her clitoris increased, piercing deep into her sex. "Is it supposed to hurt?"

"You need a release to trigger the emission of the chemicals that built up during your transition. You're overloaded with them."

Spencer clenched her teeth. Her excitement was building again and she wanted sex so much her reason was slipping. "Chelsea. You should leave."

"Stimulate your clitoris until it's completely erect. Go ahead, it's all right." Spencer closed her eyes and grasped her clitoris, running the shaft between her fingers the way she usually did when she masturbated. She was already harder than she'd ever been but she'd never hurt like this. She felt the sheath pull back and tighten beneath the crown that ringed the tip of her clitoris. She massaged the head with her thumb and felt her sex clench inside. "I feel like I have to come, but I can't."

"Now the glands," Chelsea whispered.

Spencer fingered the swellings, and immediately her stomach tightened. She heard a growl start in her chest. Her hips flexed and she manipulated herself faster. Her shoulders came off the bed and she gritted her teeth, the pressure was so intense. "I really have to come."

"Massage your clitoris and the glands at the same time."

Spencer felt a pinprick of pain and looked down. Short dark claws extended from her fingertips. A feathery line of silver pelt shimmered down the center of her lower abdomen into her sex. "Jesus. What's happening?"

"Those are signs you're almost there. Press harder, down against the bone."

The glands turned to stone and Spencer's clitoris shot upright, twitching violently between her fingers. A bolt of heat shot from her sex down her legs and deep into her stomach. She rolled onto her side and doubled up, her hips thrusting in a series of wrenching spasms. Sweat soaked the sheets under her as she moaned and writhed. When the spasms subsided, she was weak and exhausted.

"God," Spencer panted. "Is it supposed to be like that?" She cupped herself. "I'm still…it's not…subsiding."

"That was only a partial release," Chelsea explained. "Weres need the pheromones from another Were—from a bite—to trigger a complete orgasm. Self-relief is only a stopgap. Our drive for sex is very high—second only to our instinct to protect our mates—probably because our fertility rates are low." She smiled ruefully. "Aggression and danger heighten the urge. Dominants have the highest drive of all and are always semi-aroused. They'll often require a series of releases before the drive subsides."

"I don't feel right." Spencer shivered.

"I wish this could have helped more." Chelsea crossed the room and covered Spencer with the sheet. "It needed to be this way so you'd know what to expect from your body when you tangle for the first time. You're getting a crash course in Were physiology."

"Crash is a good word for it."

Chelsea brushed her fingers through Spencer's hair. Spencer's call had been strong, and had Chelsea not already been mated, it would have been hard to resist her. She wouldn't have wanted to resist her. Spencer might be dangerous if the full force of her sex frenzy was unleashed without warning. She was dominant, very dominant. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it easier for you."

Spencer rubbed her cheek in Chelsea's palm. "It's okay. I understand." She laughed tremulously. "Thanks for the walk-through."

"Move over," Chelsea said.

"Why?" Spencer frowned.

"You're shivering, and I want to hold you. You're a Were now. You need physical contact." She removed her clothes and leaned down to kiss Spencer's cheek. "I'm going to call Hale. You need the Pack. It's not sexual."

"Am I safe?" Spencer's whole body longed for a touch, but she didn't trust herself. "I don't want to hurt you and I don't seem to have any kind of control."

"Hale won't arouse you, and I'm mated, so I won't either."

"It didn't feel like that a few minutes ago."

"You need to sleep and heal. This will help." Chelsea lay down with her head on Spencer's chest, wrapped her arm around Spencer's waist, and draped her thigh over Spencer's. Hale slipped into the room and settled with his front to Chelsea's back. He extended his arm along her hip and lightly brushed Spencer's thigh.

"You might wake up with the same urges—we call it sex frenzy," Chelsea murmured. "We'll move away before then just in case. Don't worry."

"How long am I going to be like this? So out of control?" Spencer asked, instinctively tucking Chelsea's head beneath her chin.

"I don't know. We've never had an adult, turned Were in the Pack before."

* * *

Ashley paced in her office. She wanted to see Spencer. After her run she'd gone directly to the infirmary, and before she'd even gotten inside she'd caught the scent hanging thick in the air. The hall was so laden with pheromones, the potent neurotransmitters so dense, her skin had slicked instantly and her sex readied. The bite on her chest throbbed. Spencer was in need, frenzied, and Ashley wanted to take her. She was surprised other Weres hadn't responded to the powerful call already. Instantly enraged at the image of another Were answering Spencer's need, she'd stormed to Spencer's door.

Then she'd heard Spencer groan and Chelsea's low melodious voice. She knew what Chelsea was doing, caressing Spencer into a release with her voice. She wanted to rip the door from its hinges and wrench Chelsea away from Spencer. She wanted to be on top of Spencer with her teeth buried in Spencer's shoulder, her clitoris pulsing inside Spencer's wet sex. Her claws had sprouted, her canines jutted out painfully, and a streak of ebony shot down the center of her belly.

She wanted Spencer so much she knew she couldn't risk going near her. Spencer's effect on her was too potent, too powerful. She wasn't sure she could endure another bite without claiming her completely. She'd dragged herself away, crashing through the door to the porch so violently she'd splintered the wood and knocked Hale down the stairs.

Ashley knew what she had to do. She had to get away. Spencer was newly turned and couldn't control herself. She was broadcasting her needs so powerfully the others in the Pack would soon detect her call. Spencer would need to tangle frequently, possibly continuously, and if Chelsea was right and Spencer was as dominant as she seemed, she would have plenty of Weres to choose from. If Ashley stayed there, she wouldn't be able to keep away from Spencer. Even if she managed to resist, she was afraid she might tear any Were apart who tried to answer Spencer's call.

_Bo!_

Bo immediately came through the office door, her eyes scanning the room, searching for danger. "Alpha?"

"Call the _centuri_. I'm going into the city."

"Until we determine the source of the fever, you're safer here—"

"_Now_, Bo."

Bo's jaw set. "You think I can't tell why you want to leave? I smelled your scent on _her_, too."

"I told you I forced her transition," Ashley said. "That's all it was."

"Fine. She's a mutt, a _mutia_, and could still turn rabid. At least send her to one of the outposts until she's safe, or until she needs to be execu—"

Ashley growled. "Be careful what you say, Bo."

"You'd leave the safety of the Compound, put yourself in danger, before you'd isolate _her_? She's not worth that."

"Don't challenge me now," Ashley warned.

Bo narrowed her eyes and studied her Alpha. Ashley was shirtless, as she often was around the Compound. A narrow thick trail of black glinted above the waistband of her pants. Her skin glowed as if kissed by moonlight. Her cheekbones were sharply angled, the rims of her deep brown irises haloed in gold. The bite on her breast was darker, bruised looking. Something was riding Ashley hard, but Bo didn't detect the Alpha's powerful call the way she usually did when Ashley needed release. Something else was the cause of the barrage of pheromones besides sex frenzy. Something even more primitive, more critical.

"The bite—did the bite do something to you?" Bo asked, every protective instinct on alert.

"No," Ashley barked roughly. "Enough of this."

Bo had to try one more time. "Sherry is coming into heat. Take her. She wants you to."

"I do not want a mate." Ashley's wolf snapped and snarled as if trying to break out of a cage, refuting Ashley's words. Ashley shuddered with the effort of dominating her.

"Don't mate her, then," Bo cried. "Just take her! I'm still crazy to tangle. You must need to even more. Why are you denying your nature?"

Before the words were out of Bo's mouth, Ashley was in Bo's face. She crushed Bo against the door, her arms braced on either side of Bo's head. Her teeth were on Bo's neck, her heat enclosing Bo in an inferno. Ashley's pelvis jerked against Bo's, her hard nipples against Bo's breasts.

Bo whimpered and licked Ashley's jaw. "Please, Alpha."

"I love you, Bo," Ashley whispered in Bo's ear. Then she pushed her aside and stalked into the hall, shouting to Alex and Aiden, "Get the Rover. I'm leaving."


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Ashley went directly to her office at 10th & L Streets, and instructed Bo that she was not to be disturbed. Ignoring the stack of pink message slips on her desk, she put a call through on a secure line to a private number at Davies Industries. Leo Lewis, one of DI's senior scientists, answered on the second ring.

"Good morning, Alpha," Leo said in his deep bass voice.

"We may have an outbreak of Were fever in humans," Ashley said. "I need to know the origin."

"How many?"

"Lauren reports possibly four in the last six months."

"Is there a rabid Were on the loose?"

"If the victims were less uniform, I might think so." Ashley explained that all of the suspected cases had been teenaged girls with similar backgrounds. "I've never known a rabid Were to have that kind of reasoning ability. Plus, most rab attacks are random, clustered in time and location, and so messy it's easy to follow the trail of bodies back to the source and neutralize the rab. These attacks seem far more deliberate."

"I take it you don't have a carrier in the Pack? A Were who survived the fever, even years ago?"

"Only one," Ashley said carefully. "And you know that's not the source here. If there's a rabid Were, or several, they're rogues, not Pack."

Leo grunted. "You believe the focus is urban, then?"

"We have no idea where these girls are even being attacked," Ashley said, unable to hide her anger and frustration. "We haven't yet tracked those who turned up in the ER at Albany General. There may be more who've never made it into the system."

"Forgive me, Alpha, but the pattern is not at all typical for the transmission of the fever. The toxin degrades fairly quickly in the rabs who survive more than a day or two. If the attacks are occurring over the time frame you suggest, either we're dealing with more than one rab or the toxin has mutated into a longer-acting form."

"So we may have a new form of fever, is that what you're saying?" Ashley asked.

"We've always been concerned about the possibility. While it's theoretically possible, we've never been able to reproduce the phenomenon in the laboratory—"

"I'm not interested in theoreticals," Ashley growled. "We need to stop the spread to humans and eradicate any rabid carriers."

"Can you get me blood and tissue samples from the victims?" Leo asked.

"We just became aware of the problem within the last few days. Unfortunately, not in time to have any of our personnel in the hospital system procure samples from the suspected early cases."

"When was the most recent death?"

"The night before last," Ashley said. "As far as I know, the girl has not been identified. Her body is probably with the city coroner."

"I have a few contacts there," Leo said. "I might be able to fashion a request for a blood sample that won't arouse too much suspicion. A fresh tissue biopsy for mass spec and culture is preferable, however, and I doubt I can get that."

Ashley hesitated, every instinct screaming for her not to reveal anything further. But she was Alpha, and her entire Pack was at risk. "We have a survivor. One of the infected girls bit a human medic. She's turned."

"And she's not rabid?"

"No."

"An adult human female turned Were," Leo murmured in surprise. "We could learn a great deal by studying her."

"She's not a lab rat," Ashley growled.

"Forgive me," Leo said, his tone immediately conciliatory. "I'm afraid I spend too much time alone in the laboratory. My tact has suffered for it."

"What would you need from her?"

"Initially, nothing too drastic. Blood samples. A muscle biopsy."

"Surgery?" Ashley burned at the idea of anyone touching Spencer, hurting her. Her wolf reared her head, snarling.

"Only a very minor incision," Leo said hastily. "I doubt it would cause her very much pain at all."

"You said initially."

Leo hesitated. "We don't know how the turning will affect a female, especially an adult. Her eggs would be—"

"No," Ashley said immediately, her instinct to protect Spencer overpowering everything else, even her duty to Pack. That realization brought her up short and she struggled to clear her head, to think as Alpha. She couldn't, wouldn't, let personal feelings interfere with her responsibility. She refused to take a mate for exactly that reason. "She just awakened a few hours ago. She's not strong enough for anything invasive yet."

"I understand, of course. But later?"

"Perhaps." At the sound of rending wood, Ashley glanced down at her desk. She'd gouged four deep crevices in the polished wood surface without even being aware that her entire hand had morphed completely. If she'd been in public, at a press conference, that kind of slip could prove disastrous.

"When can you get me samples?" Leo asked. "I'll start setting up for the assays."

"I'll have to check with Chelsea on Spencer's condition. Can Lauren collect what you need?"

"Certainly."

"Good. I'll have Lauren call you if she has any questions."

Leo was silent. "What is it?" Ashley asked.

"You said the turned Were has only just awakened. She could still deteriorate. If she's rabid…"

"She's not rabid." Ashley's wolf pushed hard for freedom. Her skin shimmered and a whisper of pelt silvered over the surface. She shut her eyes and forced her shift to recede. "I wouldn't put your daughter at risk, Leo."

He cleared his throat in apology. "I know that, Alpha. Lauren has good instincts. I'm sure she'll be careful. Please forgive my fatherly concern."

"Understood. I want you to rush the results, and report directly to me. No one other than Nadia and Lauren is to know about this."

"My mate and I can easily handle all the testing ourselves," Leo assured her. "We'll await the samples and run the assays as soon as we have them."

"Thank you." Ashley ended the call and resisted the urge to contact Chelsea immediately for an update on Spencer's condition. Spencer would sleep at least a few hours after achieving a release. Thinking about Spencer spending herself with Chelsea's help, perhaps excited by Chelsea's presence, threatened to unbalance Ashley's tenuous control. She grabbed the message slips for a distraction.

Councilor Frank Foster had left three urgent messages. Sighing, Ashley dialed his extension in the Capitol Complex. When his secretary put her through, she said, "Hello, Frank. It's Ashley."

"Councilor," Frank said in his smooth, polished voice. "Good of you to call."

"How can I help you?" Ashley asked, more annoyed than usual with Frank's officious demeanor. Her temper and tolerance were frayed to the breaking point.

"The coalition members thought it might be a good time to convene a status meeting."

"When?" Ashley represented all of the organized U.S. Weres in the Coalition of Preternatural Beings. Frank represented the Vampires, Ciara O' Breen the Mage, Evony Fleurette Marquise the Fae, and Stella Nashira the Psi. Together, the five guided their species through the uncertain political and social consequences of the Exodus. In addition to unifying their political platforms, they discussed self-regulatory policies to ensure that the actions of one species did not contradict a position of one of the others or place any species at risk. Prior to the Exodus the Praetern species had been completely independent of one another, and the new coalition was an uneasy alliance. Their board meetings often devolved into heated arguments as each species subtly jockeyed for political leverage and economic power.

"As soon as possible," Frank replied.

"An emergency meeting? Why?"

Frank sighed as if he were reluctant to deliver the next message. "Several of the members were concerned about the media depiction of your…ah, slip."

"My _slip_?" Ashley growled.

"I'm sure the photograph in the newspaper exaggerated your condition," Frank said soothingly.

"My condition."

Frank laughed. "Well, my dear—"

"Alpha," Ashley said in a low, dangerous tone. "Alpha Davies, Councilor Foster."

"Of course…Alpha. You know how some of the board abhor public scrutiny. In fact, if they hadn't feared their economic interests would suffer, they wouldn't have joined your father in the Exodus at all. So naturally, they're concerned about any behavior that might generate adverse public opinion."

"Would you care to speak plainly?" Ashley said icily.

"You looked like you were about to lose your beast, _Alpha_,"

Frank said, all pretense of diplomacy gone. "The Coalition cannot have a rogue leader."

"You know very well what that picture showed. One of my young had been attacked. It's unfortunate the incident was photographed, but I don't intend to apologize to the board for it."

"I quite agree. And I'm sure if you give the board a simple assurance that they have no reason to fear public reprisal because of a repeat performance, the matter will be quickly disposed of."

"I'm afraid I'm unavailable for the next several days." Ashley wondered about Frank's true agenda. Vampires were constantly maneuvering for territory and political power, so she suspected Frank's ultimate goal was to achieve superiority over all the other Praetern species. However, he was an adept politician and rarely revealed his true allegiances. "I'll advise you when my schedule allows."

"I'll expect your call, then." Frank's tone was perceptibly cooler. "I wouldn't wait too long, Alpha."

"Is that a threat, Councilor?"

"Not at all. Consider it the advice of a friend."

Of one thing Ashley was certain. Frank Foster was no friend of the Weres. She wondered if he might be an enemy.

* * *

Spencer woke alone. Chelsea and Roger's scent lingered, but the one that overpowered theirs and made her stomach tighten was Ashley's. Earthy and potent—burning pine and dark cinnamon. This time she'd dreamed of awakening in a hospital with Ashley standing over her bed. In the dream, Ashley had said she was part of the Pack now. Ashley's scent had enveloped her and she'd become excited. She'd wanted to vault from the bed and take her. She'd wanted to bite her. Then Ashley had been a wolf, a great midnight beast calling for Spencer to shift, to run, to hunt. The rest of the dream had fractured, as if experienced through a different consciousness—the world had become sound and scent and taste. And Ashley. Always Ashley. Alpha.

Spencer thrashed restlessly. She could tell by the angle of the light streaming through the window that she'd slept most of the day. Far overhead, a plane engine droned. Much closer, she discerned muffled conversations and a riot of overlapping bird songs. She smelled fox, rabbit, deer. She sensed other presences in the building but had no feeling of danger.

Taking stock of her body, she was immediately aware of three urgent needs—she needed a bathroom and a shower; she was very, very hungry; and she wanted sex. She glimpsed a bathroom through a partially open door on the far side of her room and decided to take care of the simplest problem first.

Walking around for the first time in almost twenty-four hours, she expected to feel ill, but she didn't. She felt—strong. Alert. Excited. The bite on her arm from the girl in the ER was gone.

She used the bathroom and started the shower. The hot water brought a flush to her skin, and when she rubbed her hand over her torso, her nipples twinged and her loins throbbed. She didn't have to touch herself to know she was tense and aroused. She could feel the insistent pulse that matched the beat of her racing heart. She rubbed both palms up and down her abdomen and thought of Ashley's arms around her, the heat of Ashley's hard belly against her back, the curve of Ashley's pelvis cradling her ass. She remembered the heat of Ashley's mouth on the back of her neck and her clitoris jumped. She squeezed her hand between her legs. She was wet and hard. Ready.

A week ago if she'd felt like this she would have masturbated, but she found she didn't want to now. She wanted more than an orgasm. She wanted…she wasn't sure what she wanted. She craved warm, sleek flesh under her hands, against her tongue. She hungered for the scent of burnt leaves and cinnamon. She envisioned straddling Ashley's hard stomach and painting her skin with her sex, marking her. Spencer's canines erupted, short claws burst from her fingertips, and a trail of fire burned down the center of her abdomen. She flashed on the image of Ashley snarling in her face and the taste of Ashley in her mouth. Her glands swelled. Her sex pounded. She was burning up. She had to get out of the shower. She had to get outside. She had to run. To fight, to take.

Groaning, Spencer stumbled back into the room and collapsed onto the bed. She couldn't go outside. She was afraid of what she might do. Covering her eyes with her arm, she gripped her sex in her fist and squeezed, trying to force the pressure to relent. Through the roaring in her ears, she heard the door open and quickly held out her arm.

"No, don't come in here."

"It's okay," a strong, clear voice answered. "You won't want me."

Spencer turned her head. Kyla stood inside the door. "I don't think you should be in here."

"It's safe." Kyla grinned. "I could tell from outside the door you're dominant. Too close to me to be interested, probably."

"How about too old to be interested," Spencer said through clenched teeth.

Kyla frowned. "You're not much older than I am. I've tangled plenty with Weres older than you."

"You have?" Spencer stared at the dark-haired teenager with the luminous, mahogany eyes, thankful the teen was dressed in jeans and a barely there T-shirt. She would not have wanted to have this conversation with both of them nude. She casually pulled the sheet over her body, relieved to find that the very act of talking helped her get a handle on her rioting system. She was even happier to realize she didn't have the slightest desire to jump on Kyla.

"Sure. We live a long time, remember? A couple of decades is nothing for us."

"I'm not sure I can get used to that," Spencer muttered. "I'm Spencer, by the way."

"I know," Kyla said. "Chelsea said you were in the ER when the Alpha came to get me. I don't remember. I'm sorry."

"No problem. How are you feeling?"

"Okay." She turned her back and pulled up her T-shirt to show Spencer. Her back was smooth and unblemished. No trace of a scar. "All healed. Thanks for helping me."

"You're welcome, but I didn't do anything," Spencer said. "I'm really glad you're all right."

Kyla plopped down on the end of Spencer's bed and propped her chin on her fist, studying Spencer unabashedly. Spencer moved in the opposite direction.

"You want to tangle, I bet," Kyla observed.

"I…uh…how old are you?"

"Eighteen next month." Kyla twisted around and put her back against the wall, tossing her leg casually over Spencer's calf where it rested beneath the sheet. "I remember when I first had the frenzy. It was really really bad. I couldn't think about anything _except_ sex. Everyone thinks it's so easy being dominant, because there's usually someone around who wants to tangle." Kyla made a face. "It's not so much fun when no matter what you do, you can't get it to stop."

Spencer closed her eyes. "I don't think we should be having this conversation."

"Why?"

"Because I don't know what I'm doing." Spencer pushed herself up on her elbows and met Kyla's eyes.

"Maybe you ought to be a little more afraid of me." "Maybe you should be afraid of me." Kyla narrowed her eyes and made a low rumbling sound in her chest.

"Don't," Spencer warned at Kyla's challenge, her voice dropping.

Kyla held Spencer's gaze for a few more seconds, then shivered and looked away. "Wow. That was intense." She cut Spencer a quick look. "I was wrong. You're way more dominant than me, and the Alpha says I could be a _centuri_ someday." She rolled her eyes. "If I make it through _sentrie_ training without screwing up again."

"What happened in the park wasn't your fault."

"I left the Compound," Kyla said softly, running the sheet through her fingers. "That was dumb. Then I let that asshole get behind me. Getting stabbed serves me right."

"You'll know better next time," Spencer said.

"Damn right." Kyla regarded Spencer with a sidelong glance, careful not to engage eye contact. "You know, I don't get a chance to tangle with too many Weres who are more dominant than me. You might like tangling with a dominant."

"Thanks, but I don't think so," Spencer said.

"I'm not interested in mating or anything," Kyla said matter-of-factly. "I mean, if you want a submissive mate, that's cool. But you wouldn't have to worry about it with me."

"I don't want to…tangle…with anyone right now. Is there any chance I can get some food?"

"You sure? Because your call is really strong." Kyla slid her leg a little higher on Spencer's. "And I'm really feeling ready."

"Just food." Spencer jumped out of bed, preferring being naked to the continued physical contact. Kyla was only doing what was natural, but Spencer had no idea what was natural for her any longer. "And some clothes."

Kyla shrugged nonchalantly, apparently unconcerned by the rejection, and sat forward on the edge of the bed. "The Alpha lets us hunt as long as we don't go alone. Can you shift at will yet? I can, if I concentrate."

"I can't remember shifting." Spencer frowned. "Maybe I can't." The thought of not being able to shift bothered her. If she was a Were now, she wanted to be whole. She gasped as sudden pain raked through her entrails. "God, what is that? It won't let up."

"Your wolf wants out," Kyla said.

"How can you tell?" Spencer barely managed to get the words out around the choking pain. She leaned against the wall, not certain she'd be able to stay standing much longer.

Kyla pointed to Spencer's stomach. A fine line of shimmering pelt ran down the center of her lower abdomen. "That happens when your wolf ascends. You know—when you're challenged or in sex frenzy."

"It feels like something's trying to rip its way out of me," Spencer said, rubbing her stomach.

"She probably is. Especially if you need a release, which you must even if you can't tell. You sure you don't wan—"

"Food," Spencer repeated, although the urge for sex was back full force. "And those clothes."

Kyla vaulted off the bed and opened the door. "Come on. I'll take you to the mess hall."

Spencer followed her down the hall. Kyla pointed into an alcove just inside the front door.

"Grab pants from the stack in there. A shirt too, if you want."

"Thanks." Spencer dressed automatically, but when Kyla held open the door to the porch, she hesitated. "Should I tell Chelsea I'm leaving?"

"You're not a prisoner," Kyla said softly. "You're Pack."

Spencer knew better than to think it would be that easy. She'd been in this situation dozens of times while making her way through the state care system. Just when she'd get settled in one place, she'd be moved because of funding cuts or lack of personnel. She'd wake up in a new place, surrounded by strangers. If she was lucky, there'd be someone like Kyla, who didn't care if she was an outsider, to befriend her and explain the rules and regs. But more often than not there was no one. Even if she made an ally or two, she could always count on needing to win her place. She'd learned quickly how to do that, first with her fists, then with her brain. Now she had to learn the rules all over again, but she was in a whole new world in a body she barely recognized, with feelings and urges she couldn't control. She wondered if she'd survive, let alone ever truly belong. The clawing, gnashing sensation in her stomach started again and she winced.

Outside in the ballpark-sized courtyard between the sprawl of log and stone buildings, male and female Weres, most dressed in khaki or black BDUs, a few shirtless, came and went in pairs and groups. Some slowed and stared, a few narrowed their eyes and rumbled. Spencer didn't make eye contact, but she didn't lower her head either.

"Look, Kyla, maybe this isn't such a good ide—"

"Hey! Here come Clay and Sean," Kyla said.

Spencer looked where Kyla pointed. The two teens she remembered from the ER made a beeline for them across the hard-packed earth.

"What should I do?" Spencer said quietly.

"Your wolf knows what to do," Kyla said confidently.

Spencer wasn't so sure. She stood still as they drew closer. Her skin felt galvanized. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her loins tightened, not with the now familiar urge for sex, but with an urge to fight. The two boys stopped a few feet from her and regarded her warily, their legs spread aggressively, their shoulders thrust forward. She kept her hands open at her sides and her head up. She looked from one to the other, meeting their eyes in turn. Clay immediately ducked his head and shifted to one side, leaving Sean facing her.

"I'm Spencer," she said, watching his eyes.

"I remember you from the ER." His nostrils flared and he looked confused. "You smell like the Alpha."

Spencer wondered why, but she said nothing, waiting, not moving. He slipped around behind her and she growled softly, a quiet warning. She heard a soft, plaintive whine, then the press of a cheek against her shoulder.

"I can tangle with you," Sean whispered, sliding around in front of her, brushing his chest across her arm. He met her gaze for only a second before casting a look at Kyla. "Unless you…?"

Kyla shook her head.

"No, thank you," Spencer said to Sean, and he shrugged, unperturbed, the same way Kyla had. "Kyla and I were on our way to get something to eat. You guys want to come?"

Sean and Clay readily agreed and fell in on either side of Kyla, jostling her playfully. Spencer sighed inwardly, the first hurdle cleared. They'd almost reached the long one-story building from which emanated a plethora of mouthwatering odors when someone called her name. Lauren hurried across the courtyard in their direction.

"Go ahead without me," Spencer said to the adolescents. "I'll be a few minutes."

"See you," Kyla called as she took off with the boys.

"How are you?" Lauren said breathlessly, scanning Spencer's face.

"All right, I think." Feeling curious eyes on her as more Weres passed by, Spencer pointed to a shaded area by the side of the mess hall, just at the edge of the forest. "Let's talk over there for a minute."

"I called in sick to the ER for you this morning," Lauren said as they made their way over. "I hope you don't mind."

"No," Spencer said. "I'm really glad you did. I'll call later and tell them I have a personal emergency. I have plenty of leave time coming." She checked the woods behind them. Possum. Rabbit. Raccoon. Nothing threatening. She put herself between Lauren and the forest just the same. "If I can go back to work at all."

"Why wouldn't you be able to?" Lauren asked.

"It's a little too soon to be sure of my prognosis."

"You look good." Lauren tilted her head. "Your scent is healthy." Lauren's eyes widened and she caught her breath, her face flushing. "Oh."

"Please tell me you're not going to offer," Spencer said.

Lauren laughed. "I gather the adolescents already did?"

Spencer grimaced. "Enthusiastically."

"I can't imagine how this all feels to you right now," Lauren said.

"The weird thing is," Spencer said, "part of me feels completely natural. The part that isn't trying to rip my guts out."

"She wants you to shift—I remember what that's like," Lauren murmured. "All this power bottled up inside, needing some way out and never knowing how to let it free. Never being able to make it stop. All our instincts try to surface at once, creating a huge hormonal bottleneck, for want of a better descriptor. And the only outlet for a while is sex." She appraised Spencer frankly. "Sex is a safety valve. A release will help you."

"I…I don't think I'm ready." Spencer didn't know why, but despite the gnawing demand for sex that tore at her like a powerful predator, she didn't want anyone. She swiped at the sweat trickling down her neck and thought she smelled Ashley, but that couldn't be.

"What you're feeling is perfectly natural, you know."

"I understand—but my head and my body aren't quite in sync on all of that."

"Just so you know, a lot of the unmated Weres are going to feel your call, but no one is compelled to answer." She grinned shyly. "A lot probably will, though. They offer because they…well…want you."

"Have you seen Ashley?" Spencer asked abruptly. She didn't want to talk about the craving that was slicing her to ribbons, one slow, agonizing cut at a time.

"The Alpha?" Lauren shook her head. "No, but none of the centuri are here, so the Alpha is probably no longer in the Compound."

Ashley was gone. Spencer should have expected that, but the disappointment was still exquisite. Ashley had been doing her duty as Alpha that morning, ensuring that the newly turned Were was not a danger to the Pack. Now that Spencer was reasonably stable, the morning's intimacy with Ashley was not likely to be repeated. The Alpha was no longer concerned with her. Spencer shuddered, a howl of rage blasting inside her head.

"Ah, God." Spencer stumbled back a step, sweat covering her arms and soaking through her cotton T-shirt.

"Spencer?" Lauren reached for her. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Spencer said, suppressing a gasp as another shaft of pain radiated along her spine. "What if she wins this struggle? The…my…wolf."

"She won't." Lauren slipped her arm around Spencer's waist. "Come on. Let's get you something to eat. Your metabolism is about ten times higher than it was at this time yesterday."

"Afterwards, I want you to run a battery of tests on me."

"Looking for what?" Lauren led Spencer up the steps and across the wide porch to the mess hall.

"Anything. Anything that might suggest I could turn rabid."

"I'll do it," Lauren said, "but if you were going to deteriorate, I don't think we'd see a period of lucidity like this."

"But you don't know, do you?"

"No," Lauren said regretfully. "We don't really understand anything about how you were turned."

"Then until we do," Spencer said, "we have to consider me a potential danger to everyone. Maybe I should be locked up a while longer."

Lauren stopped abruptly and, facing Spencer, slipped her arms around Spencer's shoulders. She stroked Spencer's damp hair. "We don't cage Pack members. We protect them."

Weary of the constant pain and loneliness, Spencer closed her eyes and rested her forehead against Lauren's. If only she could believe her.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

A little before six p.m., Ashley shoved aside a pile of paperwork on her desk and impatiently punched in Chelsea's cell number. The instant Chelsea answered, she demanded, "How is she?"

"Better. She's with Lauren right now."

"Lauren?" A barrage of heat shot into Ashley's chest. She'd held off contacting Lauren about taking samples from Spencer so Spencer would have more chance to heal. "Doing what? I told you Spencer wasn't _ready_."

"Alpha," Chelsea said softly, "Lauren is a medic. She's just following up on Spencer's status."

"Where are they?"

"Lauren took her to the mess hall."

The pressure in Ashley's chest intensified and she bolted to her feet. "Spencer is out with the Pack? She's a dominant in frenzy and completely untrained! Chelsea—what are you thinking?"

"Lauren is with her and Hale is on his way to join them, but Spencer is fine. In fact…"

"What? What's wrong?"

"Spencer is refusing to let _anyone_ answer her call."

"She's not in frenzy, then?" The pressure in Ashley's chest eased and she drew in a slow breath.

"I'm not sure. She's broadcasting strongly, but…it's different. _She's_ different."

Ashley's heart clenched. "Is there any sign of fever?"

"Nothing so far."

"And she seems healthy?"

"Yes, very."

"That's good. That's good." Ashley dropped into her chair, tilted her head back, and closed her eyes. She'd forced herself to work, answering phone calls, reviewing proposals, making notations on endless minutes from endless committee meetings with half a mind. Underneath it all, she was constantly aware of the powerful urge to see Spencer. To touch her. She rubbed the spot on her chest where Spencer had bitten her. Her sex tightened.

"Alpha?" Chelsea asked uncertainly.

"What?" Ashley replied.

"I asked when you would be back."

"I don't know."

"She carries your scent."

"An anomaly. It will fade." The bite on Ashley's chest throbbed harder. "Tell Hale I want him to indoctrinate her. As soon as possible."

"She'll need to have a complete releas—"

"You said she's not in frenzy," Ashley snapped.

"I know," Chelsea said patiently, "but something is driving her. Alpha, I can sense her call across the Compound, and her need is powerful. Would you have her be in pain?"

"No. Never." Ashley closed her eyes. "I must speak with Lauren."

"I'll tell her to contact you right away." Ashley thought of Spencer in need, surrounded by Pack who would willingly answer her call. Spencer deserved the comfort of Pack, and she needed the physical release—with whatever Pack member she chose. That was the natural order of their existence, and Ashley could not interfere because of her own irrational reactions. She was Alpha, and she owed Spencer no less than the freedom every other Pack member enjoyed. She wouldn't make Spencer suffer just because she didn't want anyone else near her. She would have to tolerate Spencer finding her place in the Pack as every Were had done for millennia.

Chelsea repeated, "Alpha? Should I have Lauren call you?"

"That's not necessary." Ashley winced at the stabbing pain emanating from the bite in her chest. "I'm on my way back. I'll talk to Lauren when I arrive."

"Of course, Alpha. I'll just tell Hale to take care of Spencer, then."

"Good. Tell him…tell him to make sure she has whatever she needs."

* * *

Lena's number one rule was to always follow a lead, no matter where it went, no matter how difficult the pursuit might be. Unless her mysterious caller contacted her again with more information about where and how the girls were being infected with Were fever, she had to pursue those who might know something. She had two choices—Stef Gates and Ashley Davies. Getting an appointment with the Alpha was about as easy as getting to see the President, but Stef Gates might just be her admission ticket. So Lena did the logical thing. She followed the Vampire detective.

Stef had gone home after their breakfast that morning, presumably to sleep during daylight hours. Lena called the station house again and asked for Stef, to check her schedule. She was told the detective would be on duty at ten p.m. Just to be safe, after catching a few hours of sleep herself, she parked outside Stef's town house around six and waited. A few minutes before seven, Stef emerged, walked to a sleek black Porsche, and headed east toward the river. Lena gave her a full minute's head start because she was fairly certain she knew where she was going.

Ten minutes later, Lena drove past Club Gray. Stef's Porsche was in the parking lot. She pulled into a far corner from which she could watch the Porsche but where her Impala wouldn't be readily visible to someone walking out of the club. She shut off the ignition and sat with her hands on the wheel, debating going inside. The longer she sat in the car, the harder it was to convince herself she didn't want to see Stef in the throes of blood thrall—even if it was with a stranger.

* * *

Moving stealthily on foot through the underbrush along the shore, Rainer approached the black Town Car idling under the bridge. He waited and watched the car for a full fifteen minutes, constantly scanning the area for any sign of lookouts or possible ambush. He didn't trust any of his business associates. He didn't trust anyone. When he was certain the area was clear, he posted his own bodyguards and tapped on the rear window. The door locks snicked open and the rear door swung wide. He glanced inside. Two men with military haircuts and matching black turtlenecks occupied the front seats, their weapons trained on him through the open rear door. A middle-aged man with silver streaked black hair, wearing a two-thousand-dollar blended silk suit, sat on the far side of the rear seat. The man gestured for Rainer to get in.

"Tell your men to put away their guns," Rainer said.

"Of course," the man said pleasantly. He murmured something in a voice too low for Rainer to hear, and the men in the front slid their weapons from sight.

Rainer got into the vehicle and closed the door. "What was so important we had to meet in person? I have important business—"

"_Our_ business is important," the man said with a biting edge in his voice. "Your business is running drugs."

"My profits underwrite your agenda," Rainer snarled.

"And we don't need your people drawing unwarranted attention to us."

"Everything is under control," Rainer said.

"Is that why the Were Alpha made a personal visit to the waterfront to dispatch a pack of rogues?"

"I can hardly be responsible for every rogue Were in the city."

"She's asking questions. It's only a matter of time before she discovers where your drugs are coming from. And where the profits go."

"She'll soon have something bigger to worry about than a few rogues overdosing on DSX."

"We can't risk further exposure." The man leaned forward, his dark eyes glinting like a cobra's in the half-light reflected off the nearby water. "Your lack of control over your underlings has forced us to escalate our plans. She has to be eliminated."

"I'll take care of it," Rainer said, inwardly reveling at the chance to finally destroy his enemy.

"Do it soon, and don't make any mistakes."


	24. Chapter 24

Brought to you by the letter **M [as in this is rated M :)]**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

At dusk, Spencer followed Hale down a narrow path through the forest to a clearing by a small, mirror-surfaced lake. She straddled a fallen log and put her back against a pine, giving her a view of the lake on one side and the forest on the other. Hale, a quiet-spoken male with brown hair, milk chocolate eyes, and a wiry build, settled onto a large rock a few feet away.

"I take it you've been tasked with keeping me out of trouble?" Spencer said.

"Not exactly. I am a _magister_—a guidance counselor of sorts," Hale said with a wry grin. "I work with the adolescents, mostly."

"Because they're volatile?" Spencer asked.

"Volatile, unpredictable, hormonally hyped, impatient, aggressive, thrill-seeking—your run-of-the-mill healthy young Weres, pretty much."

"But I'm not an adolescent," Spencer pointed out. She wasn't being argumentative, just realistic. "And I might not be healthy."

"You're not an adolescent, that's true," Hale said mildly, "but we have no indication that you're not healthy. In fact, you seem extraordinarily strong for someone who's just been rearranged at a cellular level."

"Can you tell me more about that?" Spencer asked.

"It's not really my area." Hale shrugged apologetically. "I don't want to misinform you. We have scientists and medics who can explain it all better than I can. But of this I am sure—everything about you signals you're a Were."

"Everything—meaning what?"

"Your scent, most importantly, and your natural dominance. But also your instinctive behavior. You just positioned yourself so you can detect any aggressor who might approach, while your back is defended by the barrier of the tree. You just act—Were."

"How long before we can be sure I won't become rabid?"

"I don't know. None of the Packs have very much experience with turned Weres." Hale met her eyes briefly before glancing away. "The Alpha wants you indoctrinated, so she believes you're safe."

"And that's that?" Spencer said mildly.

"The Alpha is law."

"I understand." And on some innate, deeply primal level, Spencer did understand. She felt a connection to all the other Pack members, the hundreds she'd never met and might never know, and at the center of that expansive, intricate network of connected spirits, she knew the guiding unifying force. Ashley. The Alpha. "What does indoctrination entail?"

"Making you aware of Pack rules you would have learned growing up with your Packmates—except you haven't had that chance. You will learn, one way or the other, but it will be safer if you know how to behave before you have to be taught."

"Safer."

"You're an adult Were," Hale said gently. "It doesn't matter that you don't understand the rules. Your behavior will be taken at face value and Pack members will respond instinctively."

"Okay. So give me the critical lessons first."

"You already know the most important one. The Alpha protects us and unites us, and for that, we give her our absolute loyalty. Every member of the Pack will fight to defend her, so you must be careful not to imply any challenge to her. Don't sit until she sits, don't touch her, don't meet her gaze directly."

"And she rules for life?"

"Unless she passes the title to a successor."

"No one ever challenges?"

"Sometimes when an Alpha is very old, a younger dominant will challenge, but it's rare." Hale looked away, his expression pained.

"What?"

"All Weres are territorial and aggressive. Ours is the largest, most dominant Pack in North America, and there are other Packs who would like to see our power diminished. They've warred against us."

"_Literally_? Attacked your Pack?"

"_Our_ Pack," Hale said gently.

Spencer nodded, but she knew her acceptance into the Pack wouldn't be as simple as Hale made it seem. She'd grown up human, she knew nothing of Pack politics or hierarchy, and she might not even be a normal Were. And right now she could do nothing about any of it except learn as much as she could and be ready to fight if necessary. "When was the attack? What happened?"

"A decade ago our Alpha and her hunting party were ambushed. She was murdered." Hale sighed. "Some fear the war is not yet over. There are always skirmishes along our borders, but no full-scale attacks in years."

"But if there were, Ashley would be the target," Spencer said, the pressure in her chest erupting on a rough growl.

"She has her _centuri_ to protect her."

Spencer had experienced firsthand the ferocious power of Ashley's guards when Bo had pinned her to the wall in the ER. She respected their ability, but she couldn't shake a sudden fierce desire to protect Ashley herself. She'd never been a warrior and had no idea what prompted the compulsion, but it was so strong she wanted to return immediately to the Compound and find Ashley.

"How do you feel right now?" Hale asked.

Spencer frowned, not following the change in subject. "Considering that I woke up in a body that doesn't quite feel like my own, not too bad."

"Do you need to tang—have sex?"

"I know what tangle means." Spencer grumbled in frustration, because he was right. Until a few minutes ago, the pounding in her loins had been bearable, but now the urge for sex was painful. "I would assume you already know the answer to your question."

He nodded. "I've been aware of your call all day, but you're broadcasting much more powerfully right now."

Spencer dropped her gaze down his body. His awareness was evident. "Sorry."

Hale grinned. "I'm mated, so it's no hardship for me."

"I've already been told this is normal, more or less," Spencer said.

"Your situation is unique."

Spencer glowered, changing positions in an effort to relieve some of the pressure on her swollen, aching groin. "I've been hearing that a lot."

Hale looked sympathetic. "With adolescents, the urge builds gradually around the time their wolf ascends. Their wolf wants freedom but the adolescent can't shift voluntarily, despite the pressure to do so. The result is a great deal of physiological tension that is dispelled most effectively through sexual release."

"So if I could shift, the pressure to have sex would ease?" Spencer asked.

"Perhaps, at least temporarily. For a very dominant Were, which you seem to be, there is no substitute for release."

"When will I know if I can shift?"

"You already have," Hale said with surprise. "The Alpha forced your first shift and probably saved your life."

Spencer's heart raced at the thought of Ashley protecting her, and the already searing pressure in her loins built higher. She leaned her head back against the tree, closed her eyes, and tried to steady her breathing.

"The first lesson," Hale said gently, "is to accept what you're feeling and act on it."

"With anyone who offers?" Spencer asked, her eyes still closed, her breath catching painfully with each exhalation.

"No. You have a choice, just as do those who answer your call."

She regarded him through narrowed eyes, her vision wavering as pain lanced through her stomach. "What if I don't want anyone?"

He frowned. "I don't know. If your body is prevented from releasing naturally, the hormonal fluxes might force a breakdown."

"Make me feral?"

"Eventually your instincts will prevail, and if you can't bring yourself to overcome your resistance to finding a release, you could lose control completely," Hale said softly.

"But I might be able to fight the urge and maintain my sanity?"

"Perhaps, but why would you want to? Why not just tangle with a willing Packmate?"

"I don't know." The pain in Spencer's stomach intensified and she struggled not to double over. "I'm not sure, but I don't think my wolf would let me tangle with just any Were who offers."

Hale's brows drew down. "You can feel her? Tell what she wants?"

"She's making it pretty damn clear."

"Then _who_ does she want?" Spencer shook her head, knowing instinctively she shouldn't answer. Sweat matted her hair and her skin flamed. She pulled off her shirt. Her abdomen was rigid, hard-packed muscles vibrating beneath sex-sheened skin. Her canines and claws erupted. A fine thin line of silver pelt scored the center of her lower abdomen.

"Hale," she said, her voice deep and rough. "Get out of here."

"No, I can't leave you alone," Hale protested, but he shot to his feet and backed up.

"I don't know if I can stop whatever's happening," Spencer gasped. "You need to go. _Go_."

Hale shivered, unable to disobey her command. "I'll get Chelsea." Hale raced toward the forest. "Hold on, Spencer. Just hold on."

Spencer curled up, clutching her midsection, writhing as pain ripped and slashed through her. She was on the verge of losing the battle, and terrified of what she might become.

* * *

Ashley lunged forward from the rear of the Rover and crowded between the front seats. The Compound was just ahead. "Hurry!"

Dyson shot her a worried look. "Alpha?"

From behind her, Bo said, "What is it?"

"Just hurry," Ashley said, clenching her jaws as the throbbing in the bite on her chest intensified. Dyson slowed and Ashley jumped out.

Chelsea ran across the courtyard toward the Rover, a frantic Hale at her side.

"It's Spencer," Chelsea exclaimed. "She's in frenzy."

"I know." Ashley ran toward the forest, toward Spencer.

"Alpha," Bo shouted, following her.

"Stay back," Ashley ordered as she burst into the clearing.

Spencer lay on the ground, moaning weakly. Ashley tore off her shirt and dropped down beside her. Pulling Spencer into her arms, she cradled Spencer's face against her bare shoulder, feeding her strength through the touch of flesh on flesh. Spencer's eyes were feverish, her hair soaked with sweat.

"Spencer," Ashley murmured. "I'm here."

"Ashley," Spencer gasped. "Oh, God, Ashley, I hurt."

"I know, I know. I'll fix it," Ashley soothed, caressing Spencer's chest and belly. Spencer's nipples were swollen and tight, her stomach rippling with need. Ashley's own nipples were hard as stone, her clitoris a throbbing ridge under the fly of her jeans. Spencer arched in her arms, rubbing against her, coating Ashley's skin with pheromones. Ashley instantly absorbed the chemicals and her canines shot out. Her glands pumped out hormones and kinins with brutal force. Her system flooded with sex stimulants and her clitoris jerked fully erect. Her control crumbled. She needed to calm Spencer before she lost all restraint and took her, roughly, relentlessly. She unbuttoned Spencer's pants.

"You smell so good," Spencer moaned, licking Ashley's neck. She kissed her way down the tight column of Ashley's throat to Ashley's chest and sucked the bruise that glowed purple beneath Ashley's shimmering midnight skin.

Ashley's hips bucked and she growled a warning. Spencer ignored her, raking her short claws down the center of Ashley's abdomen before pulling a taut nipple into her mouth. Ashley snarled and rolled Spencer under her. She ripped Spencer's pants open and cupped her sex, pressing the heel of her hand down on the glands that pulsed beneath Spencer's protruding clitoris. She slipped her fingers into Spencer's tight, hot depths and massaged her, inside and out.

Gasping, Spencer moaned against Ashley's breast. "Oh God, what are you doing to me?"

"You need to release." Ashley skated her mouth over Spencer's and thrust her tongue inside, tasting, drinking, claiming. She thrust harder into her sex, stimulating the internal extension of Spencer's clitoris with her fingertips. Potent neurotransmitters poured into Ashley's palm and set off a chain reaction in her own body. Her clitoris twitched and her glands pumped. She readied to erupt.

Spencer clutched Ashley's shoulders, driving herself up and down on Ashley's hand, faster and faster. She dragged her canines over Ashley's neck and licked the shallow scratches. "I want to come. I want to come for you."

Ashley growled and pulled Spencer's head back with a hand fisted in her hair. She stared into Spencer's gold-shot blue eyes. "You will come for me."

"Yes, God yes." Spencer's legs and stomach were rigid. She gripped Ashley's arm, her claws drawing blood, and forced Ashley deeper inside her. She threw back her head. "Now. Please now. Make me come for you."

"Touch me," Ashley demanded, bracing herself over Spencer's body on one arm while she drove inside her.

Spencer tore open Ashley's jeans and slid her fingers around Ashley's clitoris. Instinctively she massaged the glands underneath on every rapid downstroke. Ashley roared as Spencer forced her to empty. Her pheromones gushed, merging with Spencer's, enclosing them in a sensual mist of sex hormones. The bite on her chest throbbed, kinins seeping from the puncture wounds that had reopened when Spencer stimulated her.

"I have to come," Spencer pleaded, licking and sucking Ashley's chest. She scored Ashley's back, her hips a blur on Ashley's hand. "Please. Please. Ashley…"

"Yes. Yes," Ashley groaned, inflamed by the heat of Spencer's mouth, drowning in her essence. "_Yes_."

Ashley buried her canines in the soft triangle at the juncture of Spencer's neck and shoulder. Mine. _Mine_.

Spencer jerked at the bite and exploded over Ashley's arm. Ashley's hips pumped and Spencer's fingers were flooded with Ashley's hot, thick essence. But Spencer knew there was more. She wanted more. She wanted something she didn't know how to name. Instinct urged her to sink her canines into the bite on Ashley's chest, but Ashley held her face away.

"Easy, easy," Ashley whispered, cradling Spencer against her chest until Spencer's release ebbed.

Ashley curled protectively around Spencer even though Bo and Dyson would be standing guard in the forest nearby. Their clothes lay in scattered shreds on the ground. A swath of brilliant stars and a bright three-quarter moon lit the clearing. Content just to watch the silver shadows play across Spencer's face, Ashley traced the angle of Spencer's jaw with her thumb and let her fingers run over the mark she'd made on Spencer's neck. Her mark. Hers.

"I dreamed of this," Spencer murmured, smoothing her palm down Ashley's abdomen.

"What did you dream?" Ashley caught her breath when Spencer stroked her clitoris. She should tell her to stop, but she didn't want her to. She hadn't emptied completely. She wouldn't without the bite, and she couldn't risk another bite. Still, she was more satisfied than she'd ever been with another Were. Even when Madison drained her to the point of weakness, she'd never had such pleasure. So she didn't protest when Spencer fondled her into readiness again.

"I dreamed we hunted together." Spencer kissed Ashley's throat, and her mouth. She rolled the hard, satiny head of Ashley's clitoris between her fingers and teased her tongue inside Ashley's mouth. When Ashley groaned, Spencer pushed her tongue deeper. Ashley was still hard and swollen, and Spencer wanted more. She kept teasing her as she talked. "We ran together, hunted in the forest together, slept curled around one another in a clearing like this one."

Ashley was breathing hard, her legs tight, her pelvis lifting into Spencer's hand. She gritted her teeth, needing to release.

"This isn't a dream, is it?" Spencer whispered, scraping her canines down Ashley's throat.

Ashley clasped the back of Spencer's neck, preventing her from moving lower, from biting her again. Black coated her belly. She whispered, "No. This isn't a dream."

"I want to feel you come. You want to, don't you?" Spencer licked Ashley's neck. "Tell me what you want."

"Harder. Press harder."

Spencer pushed herself up on her elbow and massaged the base of Ashley's clitoris. "Like this?"

Ashley's face shifted, grew more angular, her eyes shimmered with gold. Her words came out on a growl. "Yes."

"Maybe like this?" Spencer rolled the deep glands, squeezing gently.

"_Yes_." Ashley shuddered and her canines gleamed against her full lower lip. Her clitoris twitched against Spencer's palm. She was so close. Her wolf surged, furious at being dominated and denied. Ashley snarled and reared up, trying to force Spencer onto her back. To take her, come on her. Claim her.

"No," Spencer murmured gently, pressing her mouth to Ashley's ear, holding her down with just her hand on Ashley's sex. "Let me please you." She remembered the dream and the weight of Ashley against her back, pinning her to the earth. She licked along the edge of Ashley's jaw and kissed her again, circling Ashley faster and harder. "Let me please you. Alpha."

Ashley bucked, her claws digging into Spencer's shoulder. "Yes."

"That's it." Spencer squeezed Ashley's pulsing sex tightly. "Come all over me."

"Yes," Ashley shouted, spending into Spencer's hand.

Spencer pulled Ashley into her arms and leaned back against the fallen log, stroking Ashley's back until Ashley's labored breathing quieted. She caressed Ashley's stomach and gently fingered her clitoris. Ashley grumbled lazily. "You're still hard. What do you need?"

"Nothing," Ashley sighed, more content than she'd ever expected to be.

Spencer didn't believe her, but she couldn't demand more. She had no idea of her eventual place in the Pack or if she'd even live long enough to discover it. Ashley was the heart of the Pack, and Spencer could make no claim on her. She held her, committing every detail to memory—the heat of her body, her scent, the sound of her breathing—and cherished the connection she might never have again.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Sometime after midnight, Lena finally gave up on waiting and headed for Club Gray. Stef was still inside and might be for the rest of the night. Following her had seemed like a good idea earlier in the evening, but at this rate, she might be sitting out in the dark until sunrise with nothing to show for it.

When nothing was happening, it was time to make something happen.

As Lena threaded her way between the cars and joined the steady stream of Weres, humans, and Vampires entering the club, her excitement grew. She could have pretended the humming in the pit of her stomach was due to her natural love of the unknown and her insatiable curiosity. Partly true. But she took pride in not lying to herself, so she admitted she was aroused by the idea of watching the Vampires feed. Their sexual hunger, so inseparably linked to their primitive need for sustenance, was raw and sensual and uncivilized. The razor's edge separating the elegant, cool exteriors Vampires projected in public from their private carnal bloodlust drew her like a potent aphrodisiac. By the time she reached the door, she was wet.

Inside, the scene was much the same as it had been the night before. Muted lights, low, pounding bass notes thudding from hidden speakers, teeming bodies in various stages of undress. Tonight, though, she took her time making her way to the bar. Already many of the Vampires were feeding, and the sound and smell of sexual gratification enveloped her in an erotic haze. A growl, deep throated and dangerous, caught her attention and she slowed next to a long, low-slung leather sofa. Two Vampires, a blond female in a skintight black sheath and a svelte, shirtless redheaded male in tight riding breeches and thigh-high leather boots, crouched over the massive body of a naked male Were. The female, her hips writhing, fed from his neck while her nails raked scarlet trails across his chest. Even in the dim light, Lena could see the shine of arousal coursing down her thighs. The male Vampire, his incisors flashing, licked an enormous erection that pumped a steady stream over the Were's darkly furred chest and belly. The Were, his features contorted into a rictus of pleasure, thrashed and roared with each violent pulsation.

Lena had a sudden, sharp image of herself reclining in Stef's arms, Stef's mouth on her neck, drinking her, while another Vampire crouched between her legs, sucking and licking her until she orgasmed. The fantasy was so potent she was instantly on the verge of coming. The female Vampire looked up from the Were's neck, her mouth a crimson promise, and smiled at Lena. Her eyes were the deep maroon of long-banked coals, and when she held out her hand, Lena stumbled toward her.

_You are so beautiful. Will you let me taste you?_

"Oh yes," Lena whispered, aching for the sharp, sweet bite and the ecstasy to follow. Her arousal blossomed, expanded, just a breath away from unleashing. If only she could feel that stunning mouth on her throat.

An arm snaked around Lena's waist and yanked her backward, away from the mesmerizing scene. Warm breath caressed her ear.

"I thought we had an agreement," Stef murmured.

Lena whimpered, straining toward the blonde, so ready for her. "Let me go."

"No."

Stef's voice was so cool, her body so hot against Lena's back. Or maybe Lena was the one on fire. She gripped the arm around her waist and pulled Stef's hand up to her breast, arching in pleasure as long, slender fingers trailed across her nipple. She writhed against Stef and Stef's hand on her breast tightened. When she angled her head, offering her neck, she felt two sharp points of pressure against her throat.

"Yes," Lena moaned, squeezing her hand around Stef's on her breast. "Do it. God, I'm going to come."

Stef trembled, her throat working convulsively. She wanted her. She wanted to drink her. She wanted to come with the hot flood of Lena's essence filling every dark, frozen place within her. She ground against Lena's ass, working herself toward the peak that could only be crested with the taste of Lena in her mouth. She had to have her. The hunger was vast, endless, agonizing. She sighed languorously and stroked Lena's breasts and stomach, enjoying the last sane moments of pleasure before she surrendered to the mindless bloodlust.

"Now." Lena gripped Stef's hair and forced Stef's mouth harder against her neck. "Please."

Dimly, Stef heard the broken plea, but what registered were Lena's angry words of the night before. _Don't ever do that to me again. I decide who I sleep with_.

"God damn it." Stef grabbed Lena's arm and yanked her through the crowd toward the door, ignoring Lena's sharp protesting cries. Once outside, she dragged her across the parking lot to where she'd left her car. When she reached the car, she pushed Lena against the hood and backed away from her. Lena's expression ricocheted from hurt to perplexity, and finally, to anger.

"What the hell are you doing?" Lena shouted.

"What am I doing?" Stef raked a hand through her hair. "I told you to stay away from this club. Do you know how close you came to hosting Ana and Mike just now? Is that what you want? Strangers fucking you when you don't have the power to say no?"

"Who are Ana—" Lena shivered and wrapped her arms around her midsection, remembering the blode Vampire holding out her hand, beckoning her. She remembered, too, the fantasy of Stef at her neck while she orgasmed in a stranger's mouth. She sagged against the car. "My God. I don't understand. One second I was watching, and the next I was…" She looked away, humiliated, praying Stef didn't know what she'd been fantasizing.

"Ana used your own thoughts to enthrall you," Stef said sharply.

"You can do that? See someone's thoughts…twist them around?"

Stef took a deep breath, battling her still-raging hunger. She needed to sate the bloodlust stirred by the feel of Lena in her arms, the taste of her against her lips. She needed to feed. "Some can. Especially if someone is broadcasting strongly enough. Ana is very powerful."

Lena watched Stef pace in a tight circle. She'd never seen her so agitated. Her eyes flickered with slashes of flame and her perfectly proportioned features projected starkly beneath her pale skin. Lena remembered the insistent thrust of Stef's crotch against her ass, the press of incisors into her neck. The Vampire had been excited, close to feeding, and Lena had wanted her to. Invited her to. Now Stef was still hungry, still needing.

"I'm sorry," Lena said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." Stef grimaced. "I'm old enough to control myself, but some of the others in there—the young pre-ans and newlings aren't. And old ones like Ana just enjoy enthralling the unsuspecting. What are you doing here alone?"

"You weren't giving me anything on the investigation, so I thought I'd follow you."

"Into Gray?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"Not without an escort," Stef said. "Give me your word you won't do it again."

"Have you found out anything about the girl at the hospital?"

Stef hissed in frustration. She needed to get away from Lena before she gave in to the hunger twisting through her like a knife. "Meet me in the morning and we'll talk. Now I want your word you won't come back here without an escort."

"There are plenty of humans in there without escorts," Lena pointed out.

"Most of them came to host, and the rest are blood-bonded already."

"Was does that mean?" Lena asked immediately.

Stef shook her head. "It's not important. Just don't come back on your own."

When Stef turned away, Lena called, "You're going back inside?"

Stef stopped and looked back, her expression once again as smooth and as unreadable as marble. "I need to finish feeding."

Lena felt her face warm. Stef was going to find someone else to give her what she hadn't taken from Lena. She should be grateful. Not jealous. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

But the Vampire was gone.

* * *

Ashley nuzzled Spencer's neck. "Better now?"

"Much," Spencer murmured, realizing she had fallen asleep for the first time in what felt like days. Ashley held her against her chest, their limbs entwined. She kissed Ashley's throat and smiled when Ashley rumbled deep in her chest. "How long will it last—before I start hurting again?"

"You might not get this bad again." Ashley ran her fingers through Spencer's hair. "But you should have a few hours, maybe a day at least before the need starts building."

"Why did you come to me? How did you know?"

Ashley unconsciously ran her fingertips over the bite on her chest. "I am Alpha. I feel the needs of the Pack."

Spencer pushed to her knees and pulled the remnants of her shirt out of the pine needles and loam that had been their bed. "Do you take care of every Pack member like you did me?"

"Are you asking me if I couple with all my Pack?" Ashley asked softly.

"I guess I am. I know it's none of my business."

"I don't. Why didn't you tangle with someone earlier? Your need was strong this morning."

"Then why did you leave?" Spencer was angry even though she wasn't certain why. "You knew, didn't you? That I only wanted you? Why? Why is that?"

"You're mistaken." Ashley stood abruptly and started toward the forest. "Your wolf needs time to settle. Once she does, you'll find someone else—"

Spencer grabbed Ashley's arm and spun her around. "You don't know what I'll wa—"

A red-gray wolf tore from the forest, teeth bared, and launched itself at Spencer. The wolf struck Spencer in the chest and knocked her onto the ground, snarling and snapping at Spencer's throat as it straddled her torso. Spencer gripped the wolf's neck in both hands and tried to throw it off. She felt her fingertips tear open and sharp pain erupted in her mouth. She growled and inside, a furious raging wolf tried to burst free. Spencer cried out in agony as her skin threatened to split and her bones crack. She couldn't fight the pain and the wolf both. She lost her hold on the mad wolf and just managed to get her arm between the wolf's jaws and her neck.

"Enough," Ashley roared, ripping the wolf from Spencer's body. She threw the wolf to the far side of the clearing, where it landed on its side and quickly jumped to its feet, still snarling. Ashley dropped to her knees by Spencer's side and pressed her hand to the center of Spencer's chest. "You're safe. You're safe now. Breathe, Spencer. Calm your wolf. I won't let anything hurt her."

Spencer sucked in great gasps of air, adrenaline pouring through her blood. She settled her mind the way she did in the middle of a crisis in the ER, forcing herself to see clearly, to think past the rush of fear and uncertainty. She took another breath. And another. "I'm all right."

"You will be in a minute." Ashley looked over her shoulder at the wolf pacing restlessly at the edge of the clearing. "Bo. Come here." When the red-gray wolf hesitated, Ashley snapped, "_Now_."

Bo crouched low, her eyes on Ashley, and slunk close until she was pressed against Ashley's side. Ashley buried her fingers in Bo's ruff and massaged her neck. "Everything is all right. Spencer was not attacking me." She continued to stroke both Bo and Spencer until they calmed. The red-gray wolf shivered and shook and blurred in the moonlight until Bo lay curled around Ashley's body, her head on Ashley's thigh. Ashley stroked Bo's back and looked from Bo to Spencer. "All right now?"

Bo nodded. Spencer said, "Yes. Fine."

"Bo," Ashley said, "I want you to find Lauren and bring her and Spencer to the infirmary."

"Yes, Alpha."

"I'm entrusting Spencer to your care, _Imperator_." Ashley stroked Bo's face and Bo brushed her lips over Ashley's palm.

"Yes, Alpha."

"Spencer, are you well enough to go with Bo?"

"Anything you need, Alpha." Spencer sat up and rubbed the bruise on her arm from Bo's teeth. She hadn't drawn blood.

Ashley was suddenly at the edge of the clearing, calling, "Dyson!" Then she bounded into the forest, a streak of shining silver in the starlight.

Spencer hadn't moved but she felt as if she were running. The wind rushed over her body and the scent of the forest engulfed her. She caught glimpses of moonlight glinting through the leafy canopy and sensed another body running close to hers. She shivered and the sensations faded, but did not completely disappear. Agitated, Spencer jumped to her feet and strode toward the dark woods. Ashley was somewhere in the heart of the mountains with only Dyson to protect her. Spencer wanted to shift and go after them, but she couldn't. She didn't know how. Couldn't follow her instincts. Frustrated, angry, she stared into the dense wilderness, willing Ashley to return.

"You've put the Alpha in danger. I'll kill you before I'll let you hurt her," Bo said from behind her. "I should have killed you before you turned, but the Alpha wouldn't let me."

Spencer spun around. Bo stood naked in the moonlit clearing a few feet from Spencer, a warrior sculpture carved of muscle and bone, primal and fierce. Her eyes glinted with shards of gold and her body shimmered against the dark silhouettes of the pines. Spencer looked her in the eye. "I would never hurt her."

"You will, if you call her to you again," Bo said. "She is our Alpha. Even if the Pack accepted you as her mate, you are mutia. You can't bear young. You would weaken her position in the eyes of the other Alphas. Even to some in our own Pack."

"Her mate?" Spencer said dully. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"She heard your call from miles away," Bo snarled. "I could smell you on her this morning. I can smell her on you now. So will the others."

"We just had sex," Spencer said. "Of course I smell like her."

"No. Your scents are mingled. Your pheromones are blended with hers. That shouldn't happen unless your kinins are chemically fusing."

"But I haven't done anything," Spencer said.

"You bit her, didn't you?"

Spencer's body flamed with the taste of Ashley. A rumble rolled through her chest and she felt a wave of possession so strong her canines protruded violently. "Yes." She fought down the surging wolf that demanded she assert her right to Ashley. She had to understand what was happening. "But Chelsea said Weres bite during sex. That biting was natural."

"It is natural," Bo said, "for a dominant to bring a beta Were to orgasm with a bite. But only a mated wolf or one wanting to mate will bite a dominant one. And no one bites the Alpha except her mate. Ever."

"Ashley forced me to shift," Spencer said, searching for an explanation. "I didn't know. I…" She stopped, unwilling, incapable, of repudiating what she had experienced with Ashley in that glorious moment of incredible transformation. Ashley had been so beautiful—so tender and so powerful. Spencer had needed her, wanted her, desired her. She had bitten Ashley because she had wanted her completely, as deeply and passionately as she had ever wanted anyone. She would never let anything diminish that memory, especially if the memory was all she was ever to have. "But we're not bonded, are we?"

"I don't know," Bo said. "I don't think so, or Ashley would not have left your side tonight, even for a few minutes. A newly mated pair are always inseparable, and the Alpha's mate is usually very possessive about letting the Alpha run with the other wolves."

"Even her _centuri_?"

"Even us," Bo said. "The Alpha's mate never completely trusts anyone to protect her."

"Then we aren't bonded yet, so she is still safe," Spencer said, fighting a wave of sadness that verged on despair.

"Possibly," Bo said. "I hope so."

"Are you saying if we do bond that you'll kill me?" Spencer wasn't angry with Bo. In fact, she respected her, appreciated her unwavering desire to protect Ashley.

"If I have to, yes."

"And what will Ashley do then?"

"She'll execute me," Bo said.

"But you would still kill me, even if it meant you would die? You love her that much?"

"She is our Alpha. I am her second." For the first time Bo looked away. "I would do anything I had to do to protect her."

"I won't let her lose her mate and her second. That would destroy her," Spencer said.

"Then take another mate before it's too late—and none of us are left with any choice."


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Stef slowed her car in front of the arching sixteen-foot-high wrought iron gates that spanned the driveway to her father's estate. A massive stone wall enclosed the ten acres immediately surrounding the thirty-room mansion. Beyond that, another hundred acres of woods were patrolled by her father's minions at night and by human guards during the day. She waited while the video cameras scanned her vehicle. The gates opened silently and she drove the half mile down the tree-lined driveway and parked in front of the stone staircase leading to the entrance.

Before she'd crossed the expansive patio to the front door, a willowy brunette, one of Frank Foster's human servants, opened it. The brunette, her clinging floor-length claret gown slashed low between full flowing breasts, cocked a hip and smiled indolently.

"Hello, Stef."

"Hello, Clio," Stef said.

Clio slowly ran her tongue between her lips and slid her gaze down Stef's body. "I've missed you."

"That's unexpected." Stef stepped around Clio and started down the wide central hall. "Considering that you stopped dating me to sleep with my father."

"Oh, don't be like that." Clio fell into step and linked her arm through Stef's. "You know you weren't interested in anything serious with me."

"And you think he is?"

"He said he'd turn me." Clio ran her mouth over the edge of Stef's ear. "Unless you've changed your mind and are ready to blood-bond me. I'd love to be just yours forever."

Stef whipped around and grasped Clio's shoulders, giving her a shake. "This isn't a game, Clio. Do you know why there are so few Vampires? Not many are born, and humans who try to turn usually die."

"You're always so serious." Clio tapped her blood-red fingernails against Stef's mouth. "Except when you're fucking. Then you're wild."

With a curse, Stef let her go and vaulted up to the second-floor balcony. She didn't stop to acknowledge the burly Vampire standing guard at her father's door, but shoved him aside and burst through the heavy mahogany doors into the opulently appointed office. The high-ceilinged room was lit with hanging crystal lamps. Rich brocade tapestries adorned some walls, floor-to-ceiling bookcases lined others. Marble pedestals in both far corners held priceless Chinese vases. Thick Persian carpets covered the hardwood floors. Soaring windows opposite the doorway gave a breathtaking view of the mountains—a view her father would never again see in daylight.

Frank Foster was on the phone, and when he saw her, he murmured a few words and hung up. He leaned back in his massive leather chair and straightened the cuffs on his black silk shirt. "That was an impressive entrance."

With his thick blond hair shot with silver at the temples, sculpted face, and piercing black eyes, he looked like a displaced pirate from another era. Stef knew they looked alike and was always irritated when people mentioned it. She wanted to believe that any resemblance to her father stopped at the physical.

"You said you wanted to see me. I'm here."

"Sit down," Frank said, indicating one of the leather club chairs with a sweep of his arm. "Can I get you a drink?"

"I can't stay."

Frank went to a circular polished wood bar in a sitting area filled with leather sofas and chairs and poured several inches of scotch into two crystal glasses. He walked back and held one out to Stef. She took it and put it down on the table next to her chair.

"How is your investigation of Ashley Davies coming along?" her father asked.

Stef kept her expression blank. "I'm not investigating Ashley Davies."

"Really? I was given to understand that you and a reporter—Lena Adams, isn't it?—have been investigating—"

"Your information is wrong." Stef got to her feet. Whatever her father was after, she wasn't going to let Lena be drawn into his dark games. "I don't work with reporters."

"Stef," her father said with a tinge of disappointment in his voice. "We want the same things."

"No, we don't. I'm not interested in power or politics."

"You should be. You're in line to rule one of the largest families in the territory."

"I don't want to rule, and I expect you will be in power for a long, long time. You do want to be Viceregal, don't you?"

"I have no desire to challenge Madison."

"Somehow I doubt that. Isn't that why you supported the Exodus? To gain public support when you move against her?" Stef clenched her jaw. "You needed a new power base—a public one with money and influence behind it, but I think you're wrong in hoping the humans will involve themselves in Vampire politics."

"Humans will overlook species differences if the price is right." He shrugged elegantly. "You and I don't need to be at odds. Our immediate goals may differ, but there's no reason we can't share information. For example, I was given to understand that there might be a problem with the Weres. An outbreak of some kind?"

"I am a police detective. I don't share information with anyone, especially politicians."

"So noble." Frank smiled. "You're very much like your mother."

Stef took two steps toward him, her incisors slicing from their sheaths. "I hope so."

"You should be careful where you place your loyalties, Stef," Frank said softly. "You're a Vampire before anything else."

"I don't need you to tell me who I am." Stef spun on her heel and walked out, her father's laughter following her.

When she drove through the gates, they swung closed and locked behind her. She drove two hundred yards along the narrow twisting road and pulled over after rounding a bend. She watched her rearview mirror, waiting for the car that had been following her to catch up. When it was almost alongside her, she flew from her car and landed with her legs spread wide in the middle of the road. The car screeched to a halt a few inches from her body. The driver's door shot open and Lena jumped out.

"Are you crazy? What is the matter with you? I could have killed you!"

"I don't think so."

Lena marched to within a few inches of Stef and planted her hands on her hips. "Well, I don't want to find out. Don't ever do anything like that again."

"Why are you following me?"

"Because I knew if I went home I wouldn't be able to sleep."

Stef grinned. "Why not?"

"Never mind why not. Who lives here?"

"My father," Stef said grimly.

Lena looked over her shoulder at the sprawling estate. "Nice."

"Not really."

"You promised me information."

"In the morning," Stef said with exaggerated patience.

"It's four a.m. That's morning in my book."

"I have work to do."

"At four a.m.?"

"I'm a Vampire. A lot of my sources are Vampires. We live and work at night."

"I know what you are, thank you very much." Lena rubbed her arms. She could still feel the heat of Stef's body pressed against her back. She'd remained in the car watching the club after Stef went inside, wondering what Stef was doing and who she was doing it with, imagining Stef making someone orgasm while she fed from them, coming herself while she drank. She'd made herself crazy with the images. She knew if she went home she'd give in to the fantasies and have to masturbate. Then she'd feel pitiful for being so aroused by someone whose idea of intimacy consisted of mind games and anonymous sex.

"Funny," Stef said, "everywhere I go tonight, people seem to think they know what I am." She turned and walked back toward her car.

"Hey!" Lena followed her. "Where are you going?"

"Go home. I'll call you in a few hours."

Lena grabbed the edge of the door before Stef could close it. "Look, I'm sorry."

Stef slid behind the wheel and regarded her coolly. "For what?"

"You're right, I don't know you. But I know you're a good cop. And I'm a good reporter." Lena leaned down. "You're going to talk to me in the morning anyhow. So let me come with you now."

"Are you going to keep following me otherwise? I knew you were behind me when I left the club."

Lena grinned. "So I'm not very good at it."

Stef laughed. "I'm going to the morgue. I'll meet you there."

"Why did you change your mind?"

"Can't you just be satisfied that I did?" Stef countered.

"No. I like to know the reasons why people do things."

"Not everyone wants to be known, Ms. Adams." Stef gently removed Lena's hand from her door, closed it, and drove away, leaving Lena racing to catch up.

* * *

After her hunt with Dyson, Ashley returned to her private quarters to shower and dress. Bo and Alex were already waiting on the porch, having tracked her and Dyson through the forest. She sent Dyson back to the Compound although he hadn't asked to be relieved. He was excited after his run with her, and she suspected he needed a tangle.

She stood for a long time under the cool spray, waiting for her body to settle. The run and the kill had helped dampen some of her urgency to claim Spencer again, but the hunger had never entirely abated. Almost as soon as the intense pleasure of her release faded away, she was ready again. She'd had to get away from Spencer, satisfy her primal needs in some other way, or risk losing control completely. Spencer was newly turned, still struggling for harmony with her wolf, still adjusting to the tremendous physical and psychological shock of her transformation. Ashley couldn't expect her to understand what had almost happened out there in the forest. Spencer inflamed her, called to her in some deeply instinctual way, stirred her need to guard and protect and cherish as no one ever had before. The first time she'd seen Spencer, when Spencer was still human, she'd been aware of the connection. Spencer hadn't feared her, and even in the midst of the danger to Ashley's young, Spencer had managed to calm her. To steady her wolf.

Even Bo, who she loved with all her heart, could not touch her in the places Spencer had touched.

Ashley toweled dry and held the damp cotton against her face. She smelled Spencer. The chemical mix that marked her as unique, as Alpha, had absorbed Spencer's kinins and incorporated them. Spencer had marked her with a bite. She had marked Spencer in turn. They were very close to completing a mate bond. She was still ready, full, her wolf demanding she finish the mating. Another bite, another intense coupling when their _victus_—their essence—erupted and fused, and they would be mated. Spencer couldn't know any of this, couldn't understand what she was doing. Spencer's drive to release was wholly physiological, the result of her tumultuous transition. How could she willingly accept the bonding when she could barely manage the chaos within her still-evolving body? How could she possibly comprehend that once mated, she would be joined physically and mentally to Ashley for life—and if Ashley died, she might too. One member of a mated pair rarely survived the death of the other. Ashley was certain her father would not have survived if he hadn't been determined to protect the Pack until Ashley could ascend. He had begun to fade as soon as Ashley reached maturity. He hadn't wanted to live without his mate.

She would not force such a destiny on Spencer. She would not take a mate when so much of the future was uncertain. She was a target of humans and Weres alike, she knew that. Even if Spencer accepted the risk, Ashley wouldn't. A mate would make her vulnerable and the Pack needed all of her energy, all of her attention. She was Alpha. That was all. That was enough.

Distance was the only safeguard against another impetuous coupling. Spencer should be all right for at least the rest of the day, and when the frenzy resurfaced, she would have to take someone else. Her need would be too strong, too powerful, for her to resist. Ashley imagined another Were pleasuring Spencer, stroking and caressing and teasing her to release—coating themselves with her essence when she erupted for them. She pictured Spencer biting them, forcing them to come on her, absorbing their scent. Heat blazed through Ashley's chest and she started to shift, her spine bowing, her facial bones shifting, elongating, claws and canines extruding, a blaze of onyx exploding down the center of her body. Panting, she dropped to her knees and battled her raging wolf. She would not shift. She would not claim a mate. She would not.

Bo burst into the room, Alex right behind her. Alex, less dominant than Bo, was already in mid-shift, called by the ferocity of Ashley's wolf. Bo's face contorted in pain as she fought her own need.

"Alpha?" Bo groaned, searching the room for signs of danger with eyes gone mahogany brown.

"It's all right." Still on her knees, Ashley forced herself to straighten, although she couldn't yet stand. A sleek brown wolf now guarded the open door against intruders. Alex.

"What is it?" Bo asked, her breathing easing as Ashley calmed and got to her feet. "I've never felt your call like that before."

"Nothing you need to worry about." Ashley draped an arm around Bo's shoulders while running her other hand down Alex's back. She kissed Bo's temple as Alex whined softly and rubbed against her leg. "Why don't you two stand down for a while. Aiden can take over."

"I'm fine, Alpha," Bo said quickly.

"Get some sleep," Ashley whispered, rubbing her cheek against Bo's hair. "We'll be going back into the city in the morning."

Bo's eyes widened in surprise. "So soon?"

"Yes." Ashley released her _centuri_ and went into her bedroom to dress.

After pulling on jeans-style leather pants, a white cotton shirt, and black boots, Ashley walked back to the Compound in search of Spencer and Lauren. She found them in the infirmary center. Spencer had showered and wore clean jeans and a T-shirt. Her gaze went immediately to Ashley, and heat curled through Ashley's belly at the hunger in her eyes. Lauren, her blond hair loose and curling delicately around her face, sat next to Spencer on a sofa by the fireplace, their shoulders nearly touching. Ashley barely managed to keep from snarling at Lauren's proximity to Spencer.

"Have you eaten?" Ashley demanded. So soon after Spencer's tumultuous transition and their heated coupling, Spencer would be dangerously depleted. In her weakened state, she was more susceptible to a return of the frenzy or even a recurrence of the fever. If Ashley had been thinking instead of half crazed with need and trying to ignore it, she would have seen to it that Spencer got the proper nourishment.

"Yes, Lauren dragged me back to the mess hall," Spencer said, smiling at Lauren. "I pretty much devoured everything in sight."

Ashley rumbled and stalked to the far side of the room, turning her back until she could control her temper. Lauren had done what she should have done, and she ought to be grateful to Lauren for taking care of Spencer. Instead, she wanted to drag Spencer away from the beautiful Were. When she dampened her possessive anger enough to walk back to them, she noted the anxious way Lauren edged away from Spencer.

"Thank you for taking care of her," Ashley said, briefly caressing Lauren's cheek before resuming her pacing. She couldn't be anywhere near Spencer without a painful urge to touch her.

"Of course, Alpha," Lauren said softly. "I'm honored."

Spencer looked from Lauren to Ashley, trying to decipher the unspoken. She could feel Ashley's agitation, and she could scent her need. Ashley prowled, a low steady growl emanating from her chest. Spencer doubted she was even aware of it. Lauren was, though. With each passing second, Lauren grew more uneasy.

"Wait outside," Spencer said quietly to Lauren. When Lauren hesitated, Spencer smiled. "It's all right. I'd like to speak to the Alpha alone."

When Lauren cast an apprehensive glance in Ashley's direction, Ashley nodded curtly.

"We'll meet you in the treatment room," Ashley said. "Go ahead."

Spencer waited until the door closed behind Lauren, then went to Ashley. She wanted to calm her, to stroke her, but she was wary of the fury riding hard just below the surface. "What's wrong?"

"Our scientists want to study some specimens from you—to understand what happened."

"Good," Spencer said immediately. "I was talking to Lauren earlier—"

Ashley snarled, her canines flashing.

"Stop," Spencer murmured. Not caring about protocol or what the Pack might think or even the dangerous glare in Ashley's eyes, she cupped Ashley's jaw and smoothed her thumb over the corner of her mouth. "You're all I think about. Don't you know that?"

Ashley closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against Spencer's palm. "I don't want you hurt."

"Nor I you." Spencer allowed herself a few more seconds of touching her, but she knew she had to stop. Bo had said there was still time for her to break whatever bond was forming between them, and even though she knew it would tear her heart from her body to let Ashley go, she would. If it meant keeping her safe, she'd leave. She had no idea where she would go or how she would live or even if she could live. Already she felt a tremendous connection to the Pack, to the community of wild spirits who filled the forest with the sounds and scents of home. For the first time in her life she felt as if she belonged somewhere. She belonged to Ashley, but she knew Ashley was fighting the forces that drew them together. And she understood why. Bo had made it very clear. Like Bo, she would die before she would let anything hurt Ashley—_anything_, even her own need for her. She wouldn't allow Ashley to put herself in danger or weaken the Pack because of her. The imperative to protect Ashley flowed through her blood more strongly than any other need she'd ever known, even her own need to survive. Calling on every ounce of strength she had, Spencer dropped her hand and moved away.

"Who are they? Your scientists?" Spencer asked.

"Leo and Crystal Lewis. Lauren's parents." Ashley's voice was rough, her eyes tracking Spencer as she might follow the path of prey in the forest. "The foremost experts on Were physiology in the world. They defected from the Blackpaw Pack when Lauren was an adolescent. About the time the latest skirmish in the Pack wars broke out and my…our Alpha was killed."

"Lauren wasn't born in your Pack, then?" Spencer asked.

"No," Ashley said. "My mother allowed her family to immigrate."

"That's unusual?"

"Our Packs have been at war for centuries. Members of my Pack have had their entire lines wiped out in the conflict. Many disagreed with my mother's decision, but she was Alpha."

"What do they want from me?"

"Blood samples. A muscle biopsy, if you agree."

"Of course." Spencer caught the angry flash in Ashley's eyes. "What? What else?"

"Nothing."

Spencer shook her head. "There's more, and for some reason you don't want to tell me."

Ashley grumbled in warning.

"No. You can't protect me from this."

"I can," Ashley snarled.

"No," Spencer said gently. "I know you want to. I know what being Alpha means. I know how strongly you're driven to protect everyone in the Pack. I saw it with Kyla the night we met. I think that's when I…" She caught herself before she confessed to what had to remain unspoken. She wanted to touch her so badly, but she knew she couldn't. But she had something she _could_ give. She had her body and whatever was happening inside it. She could help Ashley. Help the Pack. "You need…we need to know why humans are displaying signs of Were fever. We need to understand why I survived when most don't. You know I have to do this."

"Your blood. A tissue sample," Ashley snapped. "That's all."

"What else? What else do they want?"

Ashley was suddenly right in front of her, her body pressed tight against Spencer's, her hands in Spencer's hair, her mouth against Spencer's ear. "You'll do as I say. I won't have you hurt."

Spencer sank into the heat of Ashley's body, her flesh molding to the hard planes and subtle curves of Ashley's form. She drew in her scent, felt herself stiffen and throb. She licked the faint dew from Ashley's neck and her skin sheened. "You make me so ready so fast."

"I shouldn't touch you like this," Ashley rasped, her body vibrating against Spencer's. Her claws skimmed Spencer's neck. "It's too soon for you to control the frenzy."

"It's not frenzy," Spencer whispered.

"I'm used to touching my wolves. I'm sorry." Ashley released Spencer, her face hardening. "You're not ready for casual handling."

Spencer shuddered with the brutal sensation of being cut adrift, of being terribly, horribly alone. "I understand, Alpha."

"We should let Lauren get the samples."

"Of course." Spencer's legs were unsteady, her stomach cramping. She could hardly control the aching need to touch Ashley. Just touch her. If she couldn't be close to her, she had to be much farther away. "Let's do it. I want answers as much as you do. I'd like to be able to get back to my life."

"Your life is with the Pack now," Ashley said, her tone dark and ominous.

"I have another life that's just as important to me." Spencer strode to the door and pulled it open without looking back, hoping Ashley hadn't heard the lie.


	27. Chapter 27

**Rated M**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Lena parked next to Stef in a nearly empty lot behind the municipal complex at 4800 Broadway. The county morgue was one of the older buildings. Stef led the way through a labyrinth of poorly lit alleys and walkways to a dark loading dock. As they climbed the narrow concrete stairs to the raised platform, Stef cupped Lena's elbow. The gesture was oddly courtly and Lena found she liked it. Flustered, she pulled away.

"You sure you want to come down?" Stef asked as she pressed the buzzer next to the heavy metal doors.

"I'm not afraid of the dead," Lena said.

Stef shot her a sardonic grin. "Even when they animate?"

"You already know the answer to that, don't you?"

"Sometimes we're drawn to what we fear most."

"Look," Lena said, "let's get something straight. I'm not afraid of Vampires and I'm not drawn to them—you—either."

"Good to know."

For some reason Stef's response irritated her, but Lena didn't have time to ponder her annoyance because the doors swung open and a giant of a man stared out at them with a belligerent expression on his face. He had to be six-five and two hundred pounds, with a wild mane of tangled brown hair and arms and legs the size of small saplings.

"Hi, Luke," Stef said. "Is Theresa here tonight?"

The giant smiled and his face transformed from fierce to friendly. "How you doing, Stef. We've been really busy. Big pileup on the highway." He held the massive door wide. "Theresa is in three."

"Thanks. We won't stay long."

"Who is that?" Lena whispered as she followed Stef through the twisting hallways. Their footsteps ricocheted like gunshots through the unnatural stillness. The air smelled faintly of death and disinfectant.

"Luke Ward. He's a diener—an autopsy assistant."

"What else is he?" Lena muttered.

"You guess. Your Praetern radar's pretty good."

"Must be the company I keep." Lena thought she saw a brief smile flicker across Stef's usually composed and unreadable face, and realized she liked making her smile. "Who is Theresa?"

"Dr. Theresa Diaz. She's the night shift supervisor."

"Does she _have_ to work nights?"

Stef paused in front of another set of double doors, these with glass windows through which Lena could see a gleaming autopsy suite.

"She isn't a Vampire, if that's what you mean." Stef punched a saucer-sized red button on the wall and the doors swung open. "She just likes them."

As soon as they walked into the room, the reason for Stef's remark was obvious. The petite Latina, wearing scrubs and dictating into a microphone as she bent over a body on an autopsy table, took one look at Stef and stopped what she was doing. She pulled off her gloves and switched off the microphone, then practically ran the length of the room to meet them.

"Stef," Theresa said breathlessly, ignoring Lena as if she were invisible. "Tell me this isn't business."

"Sorry," Stef murmured, "I'm afraid it is."

Theresa ran a short sculpted nail along the edge of Stef's jaw and leaned so close her breasts touched Stef's chest. "We could save the business for after pleasure."

Lena had an overwhelming urge to grasp the finger that was slowly trailing down Stef's neck and snap it like a dry twig. If she hadn't noticed Stef subtly ease away until there was space between her and the medical examiner, she just might have. The reaction totally confused her. She wasn't ordinarily jealous even of women she dated, and that certainly wasn't the situation with the Vampire detective.

"I should be done in another hour," Theresa said with a sigh. "Maybe you could come back then and we can have…breakfast…together." She turned to Lena with a surprisingly friendly smile. "Unless you have plans to feed her?"

"Knock yourself out," Lena said sharply and Stef laughed.

Theresa's smile was blazing. "Thanks. I hope so." She caressed Stef's arm. "What do you need? Now, I mean."

"A Jane Doe came in two nights ago from the ER at SVH. A teenager—female. Do you have a COD yet?"

"I think Kevin did that one," Theresa said, all business now. "I'll have to check the file." She glanced at Lena again. "I didn't catch your name?"

"This is Lena Adams," Stef said. "She's with me."

"All right…but you do know this is all preliminary?"

"Definitely," Stef said, her voice languid and seductive. Theresa's expression softened and her eyes glazed.

"The report?" Lena said testily. Stef laughed and Theresa blinked, as if wakening from a pleasant dream.

"Come on, then." Theresa led them into a small crowded office with charts piled everywhere, several empty paper coffee cups balanced precariously on the edge of the desk, and an open sports bag in one corner, tennis rackets spilling out.

Lena and Stef stood, since the only chairs were covered with journals, while Theresa sorted through files and finally came up with a single sheet of paper. She read it over and dropped it onto the desk. "Toxic shock is the preliminary diagnosis."

"Toxic shock," Lena repeated, jotting notes on her pad. She didn't even consider trying for her recorder. "An infectious agent? Some kind of bacteria or something?"

Theresa raised an eyebrow in Stef's direction and Stef nodded for her to go on.

"Culture results indicate no bacterial or viral agent." At Lena's look of confusion, Theresa continued, "More likely a chemotoxin of some kind."

"Chemotoxin? Like sarin?"

"Like any number of poisons."

"But something like that could be contagious?" Stef asked.

"In theory, absolutely," Theresa said. "It would depend on the method of transfer, the half-life of the drug, the LD50—" She caught herself with a shake of her head. "Sorry—LD50 is a general measurement of the toxicity of any agent—it literally means the dose at which fifty percent mortality occurs."

Lena scribbled madly. "But you haven't isolated this…agent?"

"As I said, this is Kevin's case, but it's difficult for us to isolate an unknown agent because we don't know how to test for it. We can tell you what it isn't, but it's very hard to tell you what it is."

"Anything else that might be helpful?" Stef asked.

"I don't think so…" Theresa glanced at the chart again. "Wait a minute. You said this Jane Doe died in the ER? She wasn't an inpatient for any length of time?"

"No, why?" Lena asked.

"The external exam showed multiple intravenous access sites. Many more than would be anticipated during a simple emergency resuscitation. Hold on, let me look at the photos of the body." Theresa keyed some information into the computer on the desk and sorted through a number of images on the monitor. "A lot of these puncture sites look older than a day or two." She cleared the photos and regarded Lena and Stef with a frown. "If I had to guess, I'd say this girl had been hospitalized somewhere immediately before arriving at the emergency room."

"Thanks," Stef said. "I'd appreciate it if you kept our visit between us."

Theresa smiled slowly. "Don't I always?"

Lena was silent as they made their way out. When they reached the parking lot, the sun was just rising. Stef slid her hands into her pockets and stopped, watching the lightening sky intently. Lena waited, allowing her the private moment.

"What do you think?" Lena asked when Stef resumed walking.

"You tell me," Stef said. "You're the investigative reporter."

Lena had been up all night and, despite her excitement over the new information, was feeling bitchy. "I think Theresa is dying for you to sink your fangs into her."

"I can assure you, she wouldn't be dying. And the term fangs is insulting."

"You know what I mean." Lena halted next to her car. "Is she one of your regulars?"

"We used to date," Stef said. "Now she hosts for me from time to time."

"You feed and she comes." Lena knew she sounded petulant, and she was never petulant. She was just having a hard time getting the hungry way Theresa had looked at Stef out of her mind.

Stef's expression never changed. "I think we've already established that's how it works. The case?"

"Something—no—a lot of somethings don't add up," Lena said, dragging her mind back to business. "Where did the Jane Doe come from? Where was she before arriving at the ER? If she really was a patient somewhere, why not transfer her legitimately—why the secrecy? And why call me and tell me about her if you want to keep it a secret?"

"I don't know," Stef said, "but I think it's time we ask the wolf Alpha the same questions."

"When?" Lena asked eagerly. She wasn't tired any longer.

"Since my involvement isn't actually official at this point," Stef said, "it may not be all that easy. I'll call her and see if I can arrange a meeting for tonight."

"You'll call me, when you…wake up?"

"I sleep during the day, Lena," Stef said with a hint of amusement in her voice. "I don't die."

"Don't think you can leave me high and dry in this. Because I promise you, if you don't call me, I will hunt you down."

"Of that, Ms. Adams," Stef said wryly, "I have no doubt. Have a nice day."

Lena watched as Stef walked away and couldn't help but think of Theresa's offer to feed her. She wondered if Theresa or someone like her would be there for Stef when she awakened. Just as quickly, she thrust the images and the accompanying frisson of anger from her mind.

* * *

Spencer, acutely aware of Ashley a few inches away, stood in the doorway of the laboratory and assessed the sophisticated setup while Lauren talked on the phone. An operating table with three circular halogen lamps positioned above it occupied the center of the large room. Several rows of workbenches in one corner held state-of-the-art medical equipment—mass spectrometers, centrifuges, gas chromatographs, hemolytic analyzers. Glass-fronted cabinets contained instrument packs, rows of drugs, and other supplies. An anesthetic machine was attached by multicolored conduits to oxygen and anesthetic outlets in the ceiling and a portable X-ray machine occupied an adjacent alcove. A laboratory and operating room like this required skilled personnel to staff it—Weres like Chelsea and Lauren who had been trained in human institutions and brought their skills and knowledge back to the Were community.

Reminded that her own prognosis was far from certain and anxious to shed any light on the disease process, Spencer walked to the gleaming stainless steel operating table and sat down on the vinyl padded surface. She purposefully did not look at Ashley, who stood with her arms folded across her chest and a tight expression on her face. Ashley hadn't said a word on their way to join Lauren, but her agitation was palpable, impossible for Spencer to ignore even if the steady low-level growl hadn't started again. Sensing Ashley's upset only made Spencer want to touch her more. Her limbs vibrated with the need to go to her, to stroke the tension from her body and soothe her worry. She wanted, _needed_, to calm her.

"I think you should wait outside, Alpha," Spencer said, stretching out on her back in the hopes of appearing relaxed. "This is all just routine."

"No, it isn't." Ashley was suddenly at the end of the table, looming over Spencer with her arms braced on either side of Spencer's legs. "I'm staying."

The heat of Ashley's body wafted over Spencer's like a blanket covering her on a cold winter night. Transported, she felt her face buried in a thick ebony pelt, felt Ashley's strong muscular body curled around hers in the haven of a fallen pine. Ashley smelled of home and safety—sheltering her, guarding her, even as Spencer protected her. Spencer gasped at the vivid image and Ashley's scent filled her chest, stirred her. Excited her. Agitated, full and ready, she twisted restlessly.

Lauren pocketed her cell and pushed a stainless steel cart over to the table. "I just talked to my mother about what they'll need." She smiled down at Spencer. "We'll start with the simple things, and we can stop anytime you want."

"Just take anything you need."

"Tell me what you're going to do," Ashley demanded.

"A battery of blood tests first, looking for viral components, chemical toxins, immunoglobulins, altered neurotransmitters…" Lauren shrugged. "Anything that might account for the elevated temperature." She glanced at Ashley, as if asking for permission. "Because Spencer was human, we can't assume whatever triggered the symptoms of fever was the same for her as it would be for one of us."

Spencer lifted her head and focused on Ashley, who still leaned over her. "What triggers Were fever in you?"

"Us," Ashley said softly, her wolf-gold eyes boring into Spencer's. "You're a wolf Were now. You're mine now."

Spencer's chest tightened at the possessive tone in Ashley's voice. She'd schooled herself not to care about being an outsider, not to care if she didn't belong anywhere or with anyone, and over the years, she'd come to believe those things didn't matter. She'd been wrong. She wanted to belong to Ashley. "Us, then. What causes the fever in us?"

Lauren glanced at Ashley, and when Ashley nodded, she said, "Argyria—silver poisoning. The metal ionizes and produces hyperthermia and cellular breakdown. Most victims die from systemic collapse due to massive rhabdomyolysis and hemorrhage. Those who don't die shift without the ability to control their wolves."

"And become rabid," Spencer finished. When that happened, Ashley would have the rabid Were executed. She thought back to the silver fragment Ashley had pulled from Kyla's shoulder, and how close the adolescent had come to death. A fierce protective urge welled up in her at the thought of anything happening to Kyla or the boys or any other Were, and she growled.

"We guard that knowledge for obvious reasons," Ashley said quietly, rubbing Spencer's leg. "Don't worry, our Pack is protected."

Spencer nodded, taking comfort from Ashley's touch. The certainty in her voice. "Since humans aren't susceptible to silver poisoning, it has to be something else."

"Yes," Ashley said grimly. "Humans should not be susceptible to Were fever except in the very unlikely instance of being bitten by rabid Weres. Then the levels of the toxin are very high and capable of transmitting the disease—much like humans are infected by Ebola or hemorrhagic fever. That's why we execute Weres as soon as they display signs of being rabid."

"But I was bitten by a human," Spencer said, "and as far as you…we…know, she didn't contract it from a rabid Were."

"Exactly," Ashley said.

"So both she and I have contracted something anomalous. Something that might be even more dangerous." Spencer glanced at Lauren. "We need specimens from one of the other human victims too."

"I know. My father is trying, but we don't want to reveal why we need the information."

"Then it's all the more important you get everything you can from me." Spencer sat up and unbuttoned her jeans. Ashley stepped back from the table and Spencer pushed off her pants, unconcerned by her nudity. "Let's get the blood first, then a muscle biopsy. Use my leg for the tissue, and take several core specimens. You'll need fresh tissue preps, so only anesthetize the skin."

"That's going to be painful," Lauren said.

"I'll be fine." Spencer lay back down and forced herself to relax, very aware of Ashley pacing back and forth at the end of the table. "Ashley, why don't you—"

"_No_."

Lauren wrapped a tourniquet around Spencer's bicep and filled half a dozen multicolored vials with blood. After she'd labeled and stored them, she prepared a number of biopsy trocars and lined them up on a tray.

"Are you ready?" Lauren asked.

"Yes, go ahead," Spencer replied.

"Careful." Ashley grasped Lauren's arm. "Her wolf will react to the pain and Spencer might not be able to control her."

"Alpha," Lauren said softly, "if you could perhaps sit next to Spencer while I do this. Her wolf will know you…"

"Yes." Ashley clenched her jaw and pulled a stool over next to the table. She draped an arm over Spencer's chest and pinned Lauren in place with a hard stare. "You will stop if I tell you to."

"Yes, of course," Lauren said with a quick duck of her head.

Spencer covered Ashley's hand and looked into her worried eyes. "I'm fine. You don't need—"

"Quiet," Ashley said gently, stroking Spencer's hair. "I'm going to take care of you."

Spencer didn't move at the cramping pain in her thigh when Lauren slid the quarter-inch-wide trocar into the muscle and sliced free a cylinder of tissue. Although she noted a burgeoning sense of hypervigilance, a bristling swell of aggression, she wasn't worried. She wasn't afraid of pain. When Lauren took the second biopsy, the pain escalated and she tensed reflexively. Ashley grumbled.

"I'm okay," Spencer said, stroking Ashley's arm.

"Are you almost done?" Ashley demanded, her eyes completely gold, the bones in her face hard-edged and dangerous.

"Just one more," Lauren said quietly. "Spencer?"

"Yes. Go ahead." Spencer gripped Ashley's arm when another surge of pain shot deep into her thigh. Her claws shot out and she scratched shallow lines down Ashley's forearm. "I'm sorry."

Ashley leaned down and ran her tongue along the edge of Spencer's jaw. Her voice was throaty and low. "I like it."

"Ashley," Spencer murmured, her clitoris pulsing hard. "Something's happening to me."

"Your wolf feels challenged. Aggression always produces a sexual response. It's normal." Ashley wrapped her hand possessively around the back of Spencer's neck.

Spencer watched Ashley's eyes flare and knew she had readied too. Ashley's call flooded her senses. She wanted to rub against her, lick her, bite her. Voice cracking, she said, "Lauren, what else did they want?"

Carefully not looking at Spencer, Lauren busied herself storing the specimens in transport containers. "They requested…bodily fluids."

"No," Ashley snapped.

"What fluids?" Spencer panted—she didn't have long before she couldn't think anymore. She hurt, she wanted Ashley. But she couldn't—she couldn't have her. Take her. Claim her. She couldn't and she was running out of time. "What Lauren, what?"

"Buccal swabs." Lauren hesitated. "Vaginal secretions. And victus, if we can get you to produce a specimen."

Ashley shot to her feet, her canines bared. "You're not making her release." Clearly shocked, Lauren blurted, "No, Alpha, I only meant…"

"I'm sorry," Ashley said instantly, sliding the backs of her fingers over Lauren's cheek. "I know you're just doing what needs to be done."

"I understand, Alpha," Lauren whispered.

Spencer shuddered, her skin slick and hot. Ashley smoothed her hand over Spencer's chest, down her belly. She rubbed the hard muscles and brushed her fingers up and down the fine shining line in the center of Spencer's abdomen. Groaning, Spencer arched at the caress. "She's had enough. She's on the verge of frenzy."

"I'll go," Lauren said.

"Wait," Spencer gasped. "Take the swabs. From my skin too. I'm secreting pheromones right now." Reaching down, she carefully palpated the deep swellings around her extended clitoris. She was tense, throbbing, and the slightest pressure was both painful and exquisitely pleasurable. She wanted to grab Ashley's hand and press it between her legs. She had to get Ashley to leave the room before she lost control completely. "I think I can get you the other, too."

"I'll hurry." Lauren quickly brushed one cotton swab over Spencer's shoulder, then sampled the inside of her mouth. Finally, she handed several more swabs to Ashley. "Alpha, if you could help her with the rest, I'll wait outside."

After Lauren hurried out, Spencer said to Ashley, "You should go. I can do it." She was barely holding on. She wanted Ashley inside her so much. She wanted Ashley coming in her mouth.

"You're shaking too badly to do anything right now." Ashley slid her hand along the inside of Spencer's thigh and gently opened her legs. She carefully parted Spencer's sex and swabbed her. A rumble rolled from her chest. "Look how ready you are. So strong and beautiful."

"I'm sorry, I can't…I have to…" Spencer closed her eyes and massaged her clitoris. Her glands pulsed under her probing fingers and she moaned. "Please go."

Ashley brushed Spencer's fingers away. "I'll do this."

Spencer rolled her head from side to side, whimpering as Ashley stroked and squeezed. "You're so good. You're going to make me come all over myself."

"No," Ashley grumbled, leaning down to kiss her, "I'm going to make you come all over me."

Ashley plunged her tongue into Spencer's mouth, teasing and sucking and biting. Spencer gripped Ashley's shirt and shredded it, then tore open her own T-shirt. Rearing up, she dug her claws into Ashley's shoulders and rubbed her breasts over Ashley's. She thrust against the hand working between her legs. "If you stroke inside me, I'll come for you."

"Wait," Ashley growled against her mouth. "Let me get what Lauren needs the first time. If I take you, I won't stop until you're empty."

"Hurry." Spencer propped herself on her elbows and watched Ashley masturbate her. "Oh yes, like that. Like that. It's close. Close now." Her hips jumped and she roared at the first shock of release. Pumping into Ashley's hand, she fell back onto the table. Then Ashley was inside her, thrusting into her, driving her to an even more powerful release. She came hard and immediately came again. Then she was being lifted into Ashley's arms and her legs locked around Ashley's waist. Ashley's canines latched on to her shoulder and she was coming all over Ashley's belly, flooding her, marking her.

"Don't let me bite you," Spencer cried. "Oh God, don't let me bite you."

"Don't worry." Ashley dropped to her knees, her head buried in the curve of Spencer's shoulder, clutching Spencer against her chest as she erupted inside her leather pants. She shook uncontrollably and her wolf went wild, howling for Spencer's bite and the final release. "I won't let you."


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Bo grasped Lauren's arm and pulled her down the hall and outside the infirmary. "What's happening in there?"

Lauren wrapped her arms tightly around her middle and leaned against one of the porch columns. "I think you should ask the Alpha."

"I'm asking you." Bo crowded close behind Lauren, her mouth nearly brushing Lauren's neck. Lauren shivered, and Bo sensed need and fear and confusion. Instantly protective, she gripped Lauren's shoulders and pulled her back against her chest. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

Sighing, Lauren relaxed against Bo, as if welcoming the support. "No. Nothing like that. It was just…hard."

"What did Spencer do to you?" Bo remembered her caution to Spencer. _Find someone else to mate._ Spencer had coupled with the Alpha just a short while ago, but she could easily be in frenzy again and looking for release. Release with an unmated female like Lauren. Bo rumbled with an unexpected rush of territorial hormones and her sex surged to readiness. She wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist and whispered hotly in her ear. "Did she tempt you with her call?"

Lauren arched in Bo's arms and tilted her head back, whimpering softly when Bo licked her neck. "You know who she wants."

"Who do you want?" Bo tugged Lauren's earlobe with her teeth and rocked her pelvis against Lauren's ass. "Who do you want, Lauren?"

"Please."

Lauren rubbed against her, her plaintive cries of need forcing Bo's claws and canines and clitoris to throb. Bo tried to think. She was harder than she should have been so soon, almost as if she'd been running with the Alpha for hours and absorbing her powerful pheromones. Lauren, always so careful not to be caught in a frenzy, even when she ran and hunted with the Pack, was ready. Too ready.

"It's the Alpha." Bo sucked in a breath, understanding why they were both on the verge of full-fledged sex frenzy. Ashley was broadcasting sex and fury. Every Were in the vicinity was probably feeling the call. "Is she all right?"

Lauren pulled away abruptly, her chest heaving. "Is she all that matters to you? Don't you even care what Spencer is going through? How much pain she's in?"

"No, I don't care about a Were with the power to hurt the Alpha," Bo snarled, incensed by Lauren's need and knowing she couldn't take her. "I only care about the Alpha, and so should you."

"That's not fair," Lauren said softly, rubbing her arms as if she were cold when she had to be on fire. "I would do anything for her. All of us would, you know that." She reached out, but stopped herself before she touched Bo's cheek. "I know that you would die for her. But maybe that's not enough."

Bo growled. "It's the best I have to give her."

"No," Lauren said with a gentle shake of her head. "No, it's not."

"Don't mistake me for someone else," Bo said darkly. "I wasn't born for tenderness."

Lauren started to protest when the front door slammed open and Ashley stormed out, shirtless, blood welling from shallow gouges on her shoulders, her face and body in mid-shift.

"The Rover," Ashley ordered, the muscles in her throat and chest straining. "Get it."

"Right away," Bo said, signaling across the Compound to Alex, who stood at wary attention by the side of the vehicle.

Ashley rounded on Lauren. "Spencer. See to her. Take care of her."

"Of course," Lauren said. "I'm sorry if I hurt—"

"No," Ashley said. "You did nothing wrong."

"Wait." Bo grasped Lauren's arm, preventing her from going back inside. "If Spencer is in frenzy—"

"She isn't," Ashley snarled. The lacerations on her shoulders had already closed, but the purplish bruise above her left breast remained dark and angry. She threw off Bo's arm and said to Lauren, "Go to her."

"She'll ask for you," Lauren said quietly. "What shall I say?"

Ashley strode down the stairs as Lara pulled the Rover in front of the building. She yanked open the rear door and Bo jumped in after her. "Tell her I'm gone."

* * *

"Home," Ashley said from the back of the Rover. She needed to shower and change and leave the Compound until both she and Spencer were more in control. With effort, she reversed her shift enough to retract her claws and canines. The thin band of obsidian pelt persisted down the center of her abdomen; her clitoris and glands remained full and hard. She closed her eyes, ignoring Bo's worried rumblings, while the Rover tore through the woods. When they reached her cabin, she leapt out and vaulted onto the porch, tearing off her pants as soon as she was inside.

She groaned as she stepped into the shower. Even the water beating against the bite on her chest was agonizing. The pain of the uncompleted bonding was so excruciating she finally gave in and curled up on the shower floor, her arms wrapped around her middle, knees drawn up to her chest. Her sex was too tense and swollen to even attempt temporary relief. Her body screamed out for Spencer, and Spencer alone, to finish her. Spencer's bite would force her to release every unique chemical and hormone that defined her. She would flood Spencer's mouth, her skin, her body until they were linked physically as powerfully as they were emotionally.

But Spencer didn't want that. _Don't let me bite you!_

She'd almost let Spencer take her. Another touch, another scrape of Spencer's teeth on her skin, and she would have.

Forcing herself into a sitting position, Ashley leaned back against the hard tiles, the cooling water sluicing over her chest and abdomen. Eventually the pain relented enough for her to stand, and she methodically dressed in a dark silk shirt and summer-weight raw linen jacket and trousers.

Aiden and Dyson waited with Alex and Bo by the Rover. Both Aiden and Dyson had fresh bite marks on their necks. Bo and Alex looked anxious and agitated.

"Are you all right?" Ashley asked them quietly.

"Yes, Alpha," they both said immediately.

Ashley nodded curtly and climbed into the back of the Rover. "Take me to my office."

* * *

Spencer heard the door open and close quietly. She was lying on the treatment table again, covered with the sheet Ashley had placed over her when she left.

"Is she all right?" Spencer asked.

"Spencer, I…" Lauren sighed. "It's not something for me to discuss."

Spencer sat up, tucking the sheet around her waist. "I'm hurting her, aren't I?"

Lauren leaned back, her hands flat against the door. She bit her lip, conflicted. "Ashley's mother ruled for generations. Many of us don't remember the last time we had an unmated Alpha. I'm not sure, but I think everything about mating is stronger, fiercer, for the Alpha. Her…" She closed her eyes. "She gives us everything, and we take everything. She asks only for our loyalty. It's hard for me to talk about her this way."

"You love her," Spencer said gently. "So do I."

"I know."

"Do you?"

Lauren smiled. "We all would fight for her. But I've never seen anyone, even Bo, who could gentle her. She needs that."

"What she needs is a mate who will make her life easier, not harder." Spencer gripped the cold edges of the steel table until they cut into her palms. "I can't seem to be around her without…arousal seems too mild a word for it."

"That's why we call it frenzy," Lauren said. "It's more than desire, more even than need—it's a biological imperative for us."

"But we could bond with others, couldn't we?" Spencer knew she wouldn't. Couldn't. She wouldn't be able to bear it if Ashley did, but she didn't want her to be alone, either. Lauren was right—the Pack demanded everything from her and Ashley needed to give it. But she couldn't give forever without someone to protect and care for her. Spencer swallowed around the pain in her throat. "Ashley could bond with someone else?"

"I don't know," Lauren said. "Even if a Were survives the death of a mate, they never mate again. And I don't know of anyone who didn't complete a mate bond once the mating frenzy had begun. Why would they?"

"Surely some pairings aren't welcome?"

"Mating isn't random. It's not accidental. The mate bond is only possible when your heart and your mind and your body need only the one." Lauren shook her head, a sad smile on her face. "Sometimes we go unmated because our wolves can't recognize each other—because we've been injured or damaged somehow or unconsciously block out the call. But when each recognizes the other, no one ever denies the bond. We are born to be mated. It's the natural way for us."

"She'll be all right if I stay away from her, won't she?"

"Will _you_?"

Spencer didn't answer, but she didn't think so. Roger had said she might not be strong enough to deny her need for release, her need to mate. She might lose control completely. At least if she did, she was confident Bo would execute her. Bo would not let her hurt Ashley or anyone else. But as long as she could think and reason, she had work to do. "I'd like to meet your parents. Will you take me to the lab?"

Lauren hesitated.

"Please. I might not know anything about Were physiology, but I do about human. I might be able to help them interpret the results of my tests."

Lauren nodded. "I was going to send the specimens by courier, but we can take them ourselves. My car's outside. I'll get you something to eat while you get ready."

"Thank you," Spencer said. "Thank you for trusting me."

"Of course I trust you. You're the Alpha's…" Lauren's expression softened with sympathy. "You are Pack now."

* * *

"Come," Ashley said when a knock sounded on her door. Bo entered and closed the door behind her. "You have visitors."

"Who?"

"Councilors Foster and Marquise."

Ashley grumbled and got to her feet, turning to look out the window. A visit from her Vampire and Fae coalition counterparts was the last thing she wanted to deal with. Her temper was too frayed for diplomacy and her wolf too close to ascending for safety. All she could think about was Spencer. She wanted her again. She wanted to be inside her. She ached for Spencer to suck her, make her come completely, take all she was. Her glands pumped out pheromones and kinins at a furious rate and her skin was slick with the potent combination.

"I'll tell them you can't see them," Bo whispered.

Ashley spun and leapt over her desk, landing in front of Bo. Bo automatically ducked her head and Ashley grasped the back of her neck, tilting her face up until they were almost nose to nose. Bo's eyes glazed deep hazel, and her canines gleamed like white spikes against her blood-red lower lip. She shuddered in Ashley's grip, her breath shallow and fast.

"And what will you tell them?" Ashley asked, her voice low and dangerous. "Will you tell them the wolf Alpha is on the edge of frenzy? That she can't control her beast?"

"It's not true." Bo rubbed her palms over Ashley's chest, hoping to soothe her.

Ashley growled when Bo inadvertently caressed the bite above her breast. The bruise was exquisitely tender and all she wanted was Spencer to bury her canines in it. "Open my shirt."

Trembling, Bo obeyed. The muscles in Ashley's chest and abdomen stood out as if etched in stone and were just as hard. With a small whimper, Bo trailed her fingertips down the center of Ashley's torso, the back of her fingers skimming the inner curve of Ashley's breast. A fine dusting of black marked a path to the top of her pants and would be thicker inside, framing her sex.

"You still think I have control?" Ashley growled.

"You do," Bo said, rubbing Ashley's stomach. "If you didn't, you would have taken me right here by now."

Groaning, Ashley pulled Bo into her arms and cradled Bo's head on her shoulder. She rubbed her chin in Bo's hair, breathing her in, grounding herself in Pack and family. Her agony was not Bo's fault, nor Bo's burden to ease.

"I'm sorry," Ashley said.

"No need." Bo nuzzled Ashley's neck. "But you need to mate. You can't go on like this."

"My wolf wants a mate," Ashley said. "I don't."

Bo took a slow breath. "You at least need to stay away from Spencer. She's driving you too clos—"

"You think I don't know that?" Ashley snarled. "You think I want to force this on her?"

"Then let me remove her from the Compound."

Ashley gripped Bo's shoulders and stepped back, lowering her head until they were eye to eye."You won't touch her. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Alpha," Bo said.

After a moment, Ashley released her and returned to her desk. She sat down and ruthlessly caged her furious wolf. Then she picked up a pen and pulled a file folder in front of her. "Send in the Councilors."

A moment later Frank Foster strode in with the Fae Queen by his side. Evony Fleurette Marquise was a voluptuous brunette with huge brown eyes, a delicate face, a sinful mouth, and a quick, calculating mind. In her Prada suit, she looked every inch the CEO of the Fifth Avenue marketing powerhouse that she was. When she sat on the Fae throne she traded in her designer suits for gossamer gowns or sleek, body-hugging leathers. Ashley wasn't certain the full extent of Evony's power, but she'd seen her reduce a traitorous subject brought before her court to an unrecognizable mass of quivering jelly—literally—with a nonchalant flick of her hand. Like all absolute monarchs, Evony craved power and guarded it jealously.

"Evony, I thought you were in Washington." Ashley gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Please. Sit down."

Ever the gentleman, Frank waited until Evony was seated before sitting himself. He wore his Armani well, giving the appearance of a modern-day corporate raider. Which he was. He leaned forward with an unctuous smile. "Forgive this unscheduled visit, Alpha. Since Evony arrived unexpectedly for business, it seemed a perfect opportunity to meet with you privately."

Evony crossed her legs and folded her lovely manicured hands in her lap. "Especially since you seem too busy to schedule time for the full coalition board."

"The next meeting isn't until late next month," Ashley pointed out, wondering what Frank would do if she took him down with her teeth in his neck, which she'd had the urge to do since he walked in the room.

"True," Evony said, smiling as her eyes slid over Ashley's face. "But in light of recent events—"

"Recent events?" Ashley said.

"The delay in moving PR-15 out of Healy's committee has some of us concerned," Frank said. "The bill has substantial economic repercussions—and until we can assure our stockholders that our corporations are solid and secure, our margins are at risk."

Ashley narrowed her eyes and barely suppressed a growl. "I wasn't aware that the primary goal of the legislation was to preserve your portfolio. We get reports every day of attacks on Praeterns, including homicides—because humans don't fear prosecution."

"Of course," Evony said, "those things are important too, but without an economic advantage, it will be far more difficult for us to convince the humans that it's important to recognize our place in the world trade structure."

"And what about the sanctity of our territories, protection for our young, our right to governing autonomy?" Ashley shot back.

"We don't need the humans' help to preserve our societies." Evony shrugged. "We'll let the humans know what we want them to know. That's always been our way."

"That presumes keeping a great many secrets," Ashley said.

"Exactly," Frank said. "The less we call attention to our…differences…the better it will be." He glanced at Evony, who nodded almost imperceptibly, then turned back to Ashley. "You might consider whether you really want to remain as visible as you have been."

"It sounds suspiciously as if you'd like to replace me," Ashley remarked, leaning back in her chair. She decided that she didn't really want to tear Frank's throat out. It would be messy and unsatisfying in the long run. Parrying Frank and Evony 's mind games actually helped her distract her wolf from her singular goal, which was to find Spencer and claim her.

"Your opinions, of course, are invaluable," Frank said, "but I think we all know that the public has the hardest time embracing the concept of others who are…part animal."

Ashley laughed. "And you think they don't have trouble with bloodsucking Vampires?"

Frank's eyes flared crimson for a moment, and then he smiled thinly. "On the contrary, they seem to like the side effects of blood-hosting quite a lot. As I think you're aware."

"I appreciate the concerns of the coalition," Ashley said, although she was fairly certain that Frank and Evony were jockeying for more power and didn't represent the entire board. If she were replaced by a Were who didn't have the ability to dictate policy—and no one did, other than her—Frank and Evony would steamroll the coalition into going along with their own agendas. She had no intention of allowing that to happen. "But there's really nothing to worry about. Weres have coexisted with humans for millennia without being detected, and we'll have no problem continuing to coexist now that they know of us."

"Even when the humans discover that you're capable of transferring a lethal infection to them?" Frank asked.

Evony sat back, a placid expression on her face, as if she were watching a mildly entertaining tennis match.

Ashley growled. "What are you talking about?"

Frank spread his hands. "Just a…rumor…that a number of humans have contracted a fatal condition from Weres. We all know how the humans deal with a threat of that nature—the next thing you know, they'll want to isolate you in camps, regulate your breeding, experiment on your offspr—"

"How exactly were you made aware of this rumor?"

"A phone call," Frank said. "Actually, several of them. Of course, I immediately sought to bring this to your attention."

"And I certainly appreciate that." Ashley stood, waging a fierce internal battle to keep her claws and her canines retracted. Frank was threatening her Pack and she wanted to scatter pieces of him around the room. "Your solidarity…and Evony 's"—she tipped her head to Evony, who gave her a slow, indolent smile—"is very much appreciated, but I can assure you, rumor is all there is to this."

Frank rose and extended his hand to Evony, who rested her fingers delicately on his arm as if he were a royal consort.

"That's very comforting, Alpha," Evony said. "Please do keep us informed."

"Of course," Ashley said as the pair walked out. When the door closed behind them, she snarled in frustration. Her chest throbbed and she rubbed the bite. Very few individuals knew about the human females who had contracted Were fever. Spencer knew, but Spencer would never betray her and the Pack. Lauren, who was loyal unto death. Someone else had alerted the Vampire—someone who was not Pack. An enemy.

Bo knocked and edged inside the room. "I'm sorry, Alpha, but while you were engaged a call came in—one I think you'll want to address."

"What is it?"

"A request for an urgent meeting with you tonight. From Detective Stef Foster."

"Frank's daughter."

Bo nodded.

"I wonder if she's finally decided to do her father's bidding."

"The timing is suspicious," Bo agreed.

"Well, let's see what she has to say. Set up the meeting."

"Yes, Alpha." Bo hesitated, then quietly left.

Ashley returned to the window. The sun had set, but the night sky was hazy and the city lights obscured the stars. She ached for the taste of pure mountain air in her lungs, for the feel of pine needles under her feet, for a glimpse of an endless midnight sky. She longed for the comfort of another running close by her side, their shoulders touching, their breath mingling.

She picked up her cell and called Chelsea. "How is she doing?"

"As far as I know, she's not showing any signs of decompensation. She's very strong."

"Where is she?"

Chelsea hesitated.

"Where is she?" Ashley demanded.

"She left with Lauren this morning. They haven't returned."

"They've been gone half a day?"

"Yes, Alpha."

Ashley cursed and broke off the call. "Bo!"

Bo burst in. "Alpha?"

"Find Lauren. I need to speak with her."

"Is something wrong?"

Ashley leaned on her desk, her claws scraping the surface. "I hope not. She and Spencer left the Compound together this morning."

Bo's eyes narrowed and she rumbled. "Lauren is with her? With an uncontrolled dominant who's likely to frenzy at any time?" She snarled and her claws shot out. "If Spencer touches her, I'll kill her."

"You forget, neither of them is mated. You have nothing to say about it." Ashley grimaced bitterly. _Nor do I_.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Spencer waited impatiently in a conference room on the fifteenth floor of a glass-and-steel building, one of many in the sprawling industrial complex that comprised Davies Industries. Lauren had left her to assist her parents with the analysis of the tissue specimens. Spencer would have volunteered to help, but she was no bench scientist. She'd only be in the way, and she got the feeling that the Lewis lab was off-limits, even to those who made it through the elaborate security at the building entrance. With each passing hour, her physical and emotional agitation accelerated. The conference room, despite being spacious and airy with one entire wall of windows giving a view of the nearby mountains, felt confining. She paced, her skin tight and her limbs twitching with the need to move. To run. She wanted to be back in the Compound. She wanted Ashley. She wanted to taste her. She wanted to mark her with her mouth and her teeth and her claws. She wanted to come on her again. She wanted Ashley to carry her scent in every cell.

The door opened and Spencer spun around with a warning growl.

"Sorry." Lauren let the door swing close behind her and stood still, watching Spencer cautiously.

Spencer rubbed her forehead. "No, I'm sorry. I'm just…jumpy. Anything yet?"

"We've got quite a lot of preliminary results. My parents can explain it better than I can. They'll be here in a minute."

"Great, thanks." Spencer forced herself to sit down at the conference table. Her T-shirt, damp with sweat despite the air-conditioning, clung to her back and chest. She'd purposefully chosen a pair of jeans a size too big when she'd dressed earlier, but the slightest brush of denim against her center sent slivers of pain and arousal through her.

"How are you doing?" Lauren sat down next to Spencer.

"I feel like I'm coming out of my skin."

Lauren gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm so sorry."

Spencer shrugged wryly. "Are you uncomfortable around me? Am I…doing anything to you? Anything objectionable?"

"No, of course not." Lauren's eyes widened. "And you're right, I should be more sensitive to your call. I was yesterday."

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Lauren said quickly.

"Please, don't keep me in the dark," Spencer said urgently. "Everything is moving too fast for me as it is. I need to know as much as I can."

"It's just…I might not sense your call because unmated Weres don't respond when mated Weres are in need. It's protective—if unmated Weres responded to mated females in heat, there'd be chaos. The dominants would instinctively want to breed and the mates would try to kill them."

"What are you saying, then?"

Lauren took a deep breath. "You smell like the Alpha. You smell mated."

"I didn't bite her again."

"She bit you, though, didn't she?"

Spencer shuddered and closed her eyes, the memory of Ashley taking her so potent her body screamed for release. "Yes."

"I think your wolf wants _her_, and that's why your call doesn't affect me nearly as much."

"I feel like I'm not in charge of my life," Spencer said. "There's this huge part of me that _wants_ and I have no idea how to control it."

"If you had grown up Were, you would have had years to integrate your instincts. You would have gradually learned to control your needs and urges. I think you're amazingly strong to have survived the transition and for you still to be you." Lauren reached for Spencer's hand. "I knew you when you were human, remember. You're still caring and brave. And honorable."

Spencer grimaced. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Why don't you want to mate with the Alpha?"

"Do you think I'm the mate she needs? One the Pack would accept?"

"That's for the Alpha to decide."

"We don't even know what's happening in my body. What if there's been some kind of permanent cellular damage—a degenerative process of some kind? What if I can't shift?" Spencer sighed. "I don't mind telling you, I'm scared."

Lauren squeezed Spencer's hand. "We'll help you. You're not alone."

_Not_ _alone_. She'd only ever been alone. Lauren's hand was warm in hers, steady and calm. Lauren's eyes were tender and soothing. Spencer rubbed Lauren's hand against her cheek and was comforted.

"That's better," Lauren said gently.

"Thank you."

"You would do the same for me." Lauren stroked Spencer's cheek. "I shouldn't have brought you here. You need to sleep. You've been through too much."

"I'm all right. I can't sleep. I can't stop wanting…" Spencer flushed and fell silent.

"Maybe this is happening just as fast and unexpectedly for the Alpha as it is for you. Trust her."

"I do," Spencer murmured, realizing she had trusted Ashley instinctively since the moment she'd seen her tear into Kyla's shoulder to rip out a lethal piece of silver. Thinking about Ashley, envisioning her face, remembering Ashley's hands and mouth on her brought a surge of unbearable longing and desire. "I do."

The conference room door opened and a man and a woman Spencer assumed were Lauren's parents walked in. They weren't at all what she expected. Leo and Crystal Lewis were blond and brown-eyed like Lauren, and didn't appear to be much older than her. If Spencer had met them under other circumstances, she would have put them in their early to mid thirties. Clearly, not only was the Were lifespan much, much longer than humans realized, but the aging process itself was remarkably slower. That alone made it imperative she not allow any further strengthening of the bond with Ashley. If her transition wasn't complete, she was likely to die decades, if not centuries, before her.

"I'm Spencer Carlin," she said, standing and extending her hand. The Lewis', each carrying a file folder, introduced themselves and sat down across from her.

"You understand," Leo said, "until we have advised the Alpha of our findings, we can't share all the results with you."

"I appreciate that," Spencer said, "although we are talking about my personal situation."

Crystal nodded. "And we're sympathetic to that." She opened her folder. "There are some things we can tell you now."

Spencer steeled herself. "Go ahead."

"As you probably already suspected, there's no evidence of a biological pathogen. No identifiable bacterial toxins or viral components."

"A chemical agent of some kind, then," Spencer said.

"That was our initial thought." Lauren's father passed Spencer a serum electrophoresis report. "However, we've identified an elevated paraprotein as well as its degradation products in your blood. We're lucky to have gotten the specimens when we did. In another twenty-four hours, we might not have found this."

"What do you make of it?" Spencer studied the printout.

"We think it's a synthesized antigen," Crystal said. "Probably one with mutagenic properties."

Spencer waited, but the scientists remained silent, leaving her to work it through herself. From what little of the evolutionary history of the Praetern species had been made public, she knew Weres, Vampires, and humans had diverged very early in primate development—resulting in similarities in form but vast differences in function. Were fever was a toxic reaction to silver that produced rapid systemic cellular death. That level of destruction usually indicated disruption of critical subcellular functions. The most important job of a cell was the production of energy to sustain life, and the mitochondria were the powerhouses doing the work. Mitochondria also carried DNA, the genetic maps to any number of critical biological functions.

"The Were genes are in the mitochondria, aren't they?" Spencer said. "And mitochondrial DNA is only passed from the mother, which means only a Were female can produce Were offspring."

The Lewis' neither confirmed nor denied, but they didn't have to. Everything was so much clearer now. Spencer remembered Ashley's fury with the adolescent males for taking Kyla out of the Compound and failing to protect her. Every female Were, and only the female Weres, carried the genetic material to preserve and propagate the species.

"This antigen you've isolated," Spencer said, "it targets mitochondria, but for some reason mine mutated instead of destructing."

"That's our present conclusion, yes," Crystal said.

"But if someone is synthesizing this compound, why?" Spencer looked from Lauren to her parents. "Surely they're not trying to create Weres? Isn't it more likely they're trying to produce a chemical weapon _against_ Weres?"

"Either is possible," Crystal said. "The only thing we can be certain of right now is that all the evidence indicates this agent is almost uniformly fatal in humans. You seem to be the exception."

"Maybe," Spencer said hollowly. "Maybe the degenerative process is just delayed."

"No," Leo said. "We ran your mitochondrial DNA from the muscle biopsies. Your profiles are indistinguishable from native Were DNA."

Spencer's heart leapt. "Normal?"

"Structurally, yes. Whether all those gene sites are active remains to be seen."

"You mean, whether I'll be able to shift," Spencer said.

Lauren shook her head. "You already have shifted."

"Yes," Spencer said, "when Ashley forced me to."

Crystal Lewis sat forward. "The Alpha forced you to shift?"

"Yes." Spencer flushed. "That's when I bit her and she shifted too."

Crystal cast her husband a worried look.

"What? Isn't it normal for Ashley to be able to force a Were to shift?"

"Yes," Crystal said, "but you were still in the throes of fever. And you bit her."

Spencer's heart twisted. "You think I might have transferred something dangerous to Ashley? That this toxin could hurt her?"

"We don't know. We might be able to tell more from your progenitor cells—to determine just how complete, and stable, a mutation has occurred," Crystal said.

"Anything. Do it."

"We'd like permission to do both bone marrow and laparoscopic ovarian biopsies," Leo said.

"Yes, of course," Spencer said immediately. "We should do it now. Do you have the equipment here?"

"Wait," Lauren said. "We can't do procedures of that magnitude without discussing it with the Alpha."

"Yes, we can," Spencer insisted. "You have my permission, and we need this information." She turned and took Lauren's hands. "And we need to know. We need to know for Ashley's sake. Please."

Lauren hesitated, then nodded.

"Before we do anything," Crystal said, "the Alpha wants to speak with Lauren. Her _imperator_ called here a few minutes ago looking for her."

"I'll call her now," Lauren said, rising. "May I use your office, Mother?"

"Don't you have your cell phone?" Spencer asked.

"They don't work in this building," Lauren said. "Radio transmissions are blocked for security reasons. Only the land lines function." She paused. "You can come with me if you want to speak with her."

Spencer wanted to hear Ashley's voice almost as much as she wanted to see her, touch her. "No. I want your parents to harvest the specimens now. Tell Ashley…tell her I'm all right. But don't tell her about the biopsies. I'll take responsibility for this. I need to know if I've hurt her."

"She'll be angry." Lauren glanced at her parents. "With all of us. You must scent what Spencer is."

Leo said, "She is the Alpha's mate."

"No." Spencer shot to her feet. "No, I'm not. And if there's the slightest possibility I'm a danger to her, I can't go back to the Compound. I can't see her again. Ever."

* * *

Bo's cell rang as she climbed out of the Rover in front of Stef Foster's townhouse.

"Dennis," Bo said.

"It's Lauren. My parents said the Alpha was looking for me."

"Are you all right?" Bo asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"You and Spencer haven't tangled. She hasn't touched you?"

"What?" Lauren exclaimed. "No! Of course not."

"Just be careful," Bo snapped. She caught up to Ashley and held out the phone. "Alpha, I have Lauren."

Ashley paused on the steps and took the phone. "Is Spencer still with you?"

"Yes, Alpha. She's…with my parents right now."

"How is she?"

"She seems fine."

"I want her back at the Compound _now_, and I want Chelsea to check her as soon as she returns. I won't be long."

Lauren was silent.

"Lauren?" Ashley growled.

"I don't know if she wants to go back to the Compound, Alpha."

"She doesn't know what's best for her right now. I want her somewhere safe."

"I understand, but—"

"Never mind, keep her there. I'll be there in less than an hour. Tell her I'm coming. Tell her that."

"Yes, Alpha."

Ashley tossed the cell phone back to Bo. "Let's hear what the Vampire has to say."

* * *

Lena probably should have been intimidated by the group gathered in Stef's bookcase-lined study, but she was fascinated. As a group they were intimidating, but as individuals, they were breathtaking. She couldn't stop staring at the wolf Alpha. She'd seen photos of Ashley Davies, heard her interviewed on television. She'd expected her to be beautiful and confident. She hadn't expected her to be so magnetic. So powerful. The Weres with her, male and female, were every bit as stunning—wild and dangerous and wary. The Alpha wore a stylish suit with a sense of studied disregard and the others, in dark military pants and skintight black shirts, looked exactly like the soldiers they were.

Stef was a mesmerizing contrast. Elegant, refined, completely contained. She was a cipher, an enigma—only her endlessly deep obsidian eyes hinted at the restrained lethality she kept so tightly leashed. But Lena knew what deadly power lay beneath her poised exterior. She'd seen the predator uncaged.

Ashley, with her guards flanking her, stood on one side of the spacious high-ceilinged room, having declined Stef's offer to sit in the leather sofas and chairs in front of a marble fireplace.

"Something to drink?" Stef asked, indicating an antique sideboard and an array of liquor in cut-crystal bottles.

"No," Ashley said. "I'm surprised to hear from you, Detective, and not the police commissioner. I have a good relationship with her, and she hasn't informed me of any inquiries involving Weres."

"There isn't an official investigation—yet," Stef said. "But I suspect there will be one before long. Someone wants the public to know that humans are being infected with Were fever."

Ashley pivoted to Lena. "I take it that's where you come in, Ms. Adams. Rather unusual to involve the public when all you have is speculation—although that doesn't seem to matter much to the press these days."

Lena lifted her chin. "I have a job to do, Alpha. And I have a responsibility to report the truth, especially if there's a danger to the public."

The auburn-haired female who'd been introduced as Ashley's second growled, displaying a flash of fully extended canines. Lena slid her eyes to her and refused to lower her gaze even when the Were snarled a warning.

"Ms. Adams is not the cause of your problems, Alpha," Stef said smoothly.

Lena hadn't seen Stef move, but suddenly Stef was between her and the Weres.

Ashley looked from Stef to Lena. "How did you hear about these rumors?"

"An anonymous source," Lena said. At Ashley's look of disgust, she added, "And no, I'm not being difficult. I really don't know."

"Whoever contacted Ms. Adams may have also alerted others," Stef said. "I came across the rumor from intelligence sources monitoring anti-Praetern groups."

"Let me guess—HUFSI," Ashley said.

"What—" Lena said.

"Humans United For Species Integrity," Stef explained. "A small but radical offshoot of some of the more civilized groups trying to block legislation on Praetern rights."

"You're kidding," Lena muttered, mentally making a note to investigate the group. She couldn't believe that her fellow humans actually thought they had the right to relegate entire species to some kind of second-class status. But then again, her ancestors had been slaves, so she wasn't sure why she was surprised.

"Unfortunately, HUFSI is not the only group, just one of the more militant." Ashley asked Stef, "What's your interest in this, Detective? Vampires don't usually involve themselves in anything that doesn't directly affect them."

"My job is to see there are no further victims."

"Your father didn't seem particularly concerned about the victims."

Stef went completely still, the stillness of a predator just before an attack. The Were Alpha's second took a step forward, putting her even with her Alpha. She parted her lips, displaying her teeth. Stef slowly caught the guard's gaze and sent a wave of power. The Were's hazel eyes clouded and she grumbled uneasily, deep in her chest.

"Stand down, Vampire," Ashley murmured.

Stef held the Were in thrall a moment longer, then shrugged with graceful insouciance. "My responsibility is to uphold the law. I don't follow my father's agenda."

"Even when the law doesn't protect your species?" Ashley asked quietly.

"That's your job, isn't it, Councilor? To see that the law does."

Lena edged forward until Stef was no longer shielding her. "We all know there are plenty of factions who don't want to see Praeterns recognized—legally, socially, economically, or politically. Maybe that's a place to start. Who are your enemies, Alpha Davies?"

Ashley smiled and looked pointedly at Stef. "More every day."

Lena had had enough of watching the wolf Alpha and the Vampire test each other. She expected one or both of them to pee on the carpet at any moment. "Look—none of us want to see another dead girl. That's why we either find out what exactly is killing them, and fast, or I will have to go public. Now—do we work together or not?"

Ashley and Stef stared at her.

"What?" Lena said testily. "Was I supposed to raise my hand to ask for permission to speak?"

That mercurial smile flickered over Stef's mouth and Lena felt a rush of heat.

"It's a matter of police business," Stef said.

"It's Were business," Ashley snapped.

"Oh, for God's sake," Lena said, planting her hands on her hips. "Can't you—make a temporary alliance or something?"

Ashley raised a brow. Stef frowned.

"I have no reason to trust you," Ashley said to Stef.

"And I have no reason to share information with you."

"Then we have a stalemate," Ashley said and turned to leave.

"You know," Lena interjected, "I can get my story without either of you. I'll just go back to the ER and interview Spencer Carlin again. Then I'll decide if we go public."

The wolf Alpha slowly pivoted and fixed Lena with a flat, hard stare. The Weres with her moved into a V formation behind her. Lena shivered as if a cold wind had blown over her skin.

"Careful, wolf," Stef murmured.

"Spencer has nothing to do with this." Ashley's voice dropped to a guttural rumble.

"All right, then," Lena said, pleased that her voice did not quiver. "Then _you_ be my source. You can't tell me you aren't looking into these deaths."

"You are either very brave or very foolish," Ashley said.

"She's both," Stef said.

"We don't believe the humans were infected by Weres," Ashley said, still watching Lena. "We don't know who these human females are or where they came from. We don't know how to explain what happened to them. But we will find out."

Stef lightly grasped Lena's elbow and moved her back, putting distance between her and Ashley. "The medical examiner thinks the girls were being held somewhere—a hospital—before they arrived at the emergency room."

"A hospital?" Ashley said softly. "Or a laboratory?"

"Oh my God," Lena said. "You think someone was experimenting on them?"

"I don't know," Ashley said. "I can only tell you that humans are not generally susceptible to Were fever. Whatever they have, it isn't that."

"How many are we talking about?" Stef said.

"Four suspected."

"Give me the victims' names and I'll run background checks," Stef said. "If we don't have a lead on the perpetrators, then we'll study the victims. The victimology may tell us what happened to them."

"Our medic will call you with the names," Ashley said carefully. "Then we should talk again."

"Yes," Stef said, "and you can tell me what your scientists have discovered."

"So we have an alliance?" Lena asked.

Ashley stared at Stef. "Agreed, Vampire?"

Stef held Ashley's gaze for a long moment, then, with a slight incline of her head, said, "Agreed, Wolf."

"We'll be in touch." Ashley turned to leave and Alex fell in on one side, Bo on the other.

Stef led the way into the hall and across the foyer. "I'll call you once I've run the searches."

Stef pulled open the wide stained-glass door and a windowpane shattered, raining multicolored shards onto the marble floor. Bo shouted. Lena was suddenly thrown down and pinned by a heavy weight. Someone slammed the door closed. Barely able to breathe, Lena managed to turn her head. A bright red sheet of blood cascaded across the polished marble foyer toward her face.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Lena!" Stef crouched by Lena's side, urgently running her hands over Lena's body. "Lena! Are you hurt?"

"No, no I don't think so." Lena sat up and her heart lurched. Stef's face was blood streaked and the front of her white shirt splattered with crimson. "God, Stef. You're bleeding!"

Stef shook her head grimly. "No, I'm not."

"What was it? What happened?"

"Gunfire," Stef said.

"Who—" Lena trailed off as the horrible scene came into focus. A few feet away, the wolf Alpha knelt in a spreading scarlet pool, one of the black-uniformed Weres cradled in her arms. The Were guards had formed a physical barricade between Ashley and the damaged front door. Blood bubbled from a hole in the Alpha's shoulder and soaked her shirt, but she didn't seem to notice it. Her eyes, fierce gold daggers in a face gone feral, were fixed on the female in her arms.

* * *

Spencer was awakened from her post-procedure doze by a sharp pain in her chest. She jerked upright in the recliner. "Something's wrong."

"What is it?" Sophia quickly rose from the desk where she'd been running a computer search and hurried to Spencer's side. "Are you having pain?"

"No." Spencer grimaced. "Yes. I don't know."

Sophia drew the sheet aside and examined the small incisions in Spencer's lower abdomen where her mother had inserted the instruments to do the biopsies. "These are nearly healed. There's no evidence of bleeding. Where's the pain?"

"Not there—my upper abdomen. And my chest." Spencer gritted her teeth as another stabbing pain shot through her chest. She checked the monitor on a stand next to her chair. Her EKG was steady, her pulse and blood pressure normal. "Everything looks normal. It's not me. It's not me."

"Then what—"

Spencer groaned with another wave of twisting pain, this one spearing down her right side. Her claws tore through the ends of her fingertips. Her canines burst out, flooding her mouth with hot blood. She bolted to her feet. "Ashley. Something's happened."

* * *

"Alex," Ashley said gently, "I have to get the bullets out. The bleeding won't stop until I do."

Blood streamed from the corner of Alex's mouth and gushed from a crater in the center of her chest. Her teal eyes held Ashley's, calm and unafraid. She nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yes, Alpha."

Ashley's chest burned with every breath, but the pain was nothing compared to her rage. Alex had jumped in front of her, had taken most of the bullets meant for her. Now her wolf, her _centuri_, was hurt, suffering, and she would not let her die. Her arm shifted and her claws, three inches long and razor sharp, glinted. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

"I know."

Alex screamed when Ashley plunged her claws into the wound, her eyes rolling back, her body contorting into a rigid arch. A crimson river rushed out around Ashley's limb, adding to the garnet lake around them. Ashley jerked out a silver bullet and flung it aside, then drove her hand back into the wound three more times.

"They hit the heart," Ashley growled, gripping the shredded organ to stem the flow. "There's too much damage. She'll bleed to death before she can heal."

Stef dropped down beside Ashley. "My blood can keep her alive until she heals."

"She is nearly empty."

"Then we have to hurry. Decide, Wolf."

Ashley met Stef's eyes. "Will she turn?"

"I don't know. Possibly."

"Do it."

Stef tore off her jacket and shirt, then sliced open the large artery in the bend of her right elbow. Blood spurted out in a scarlet fountain. Stef slid her hand behind Alex's neck and turned Alex's face into the bend of her arm. Holding her, she crooned, "Drink, Alex. Drink."

Alex shuddered, her throat working convulsively as she swallowed.

* * *

Lena bit her lip, wondering how everyone else could be so calm—so deadly calm. Perhaps death held a different place in the natural order for these predators, who seemed so human, but were not. The foyer looked and smelled like a charnel house. The priceless linen wallpaper was covered with great swaths of red, as if someone had flung a paintbrush dipped in blood at them. The marble floor was awash in Alex's and the Alpha's blood.

Lena didn't remember moving over to Stef, didn't remember touching her, but now she knelt in a congealing pool a few inches from Stef with her hand on Stef's back. Stef's eyes were closed and her body trembled under Lena's fingers. Her blonde hair lay in damp tendrils on her neck. Her flawless skin had gone from purest white to ashen. And still Alex drank. The only sounds were Alex's desperate swallows and Stef's rapid breathing.

"Is she healing?" Lena asked at last.

"Yes, slowly," Ashley said, her forearm still deep in Alex's chest. "Her heart is trying to beat. Just a little more."

Stef moaned, more agony than pleasure. Lena slid her arm around Stef's shoulders and murmured in her ear, "Are you all right?"

Wordlessly, Stef nodded. Seconds passed. A minute. Another.

"She's almost there." Ashley withdrew her hand and pressed her palm over the wound in Alex's chest. Alex curled around Stef's arm, her mouth working feverishly on Stef's flesh.

Stef sagged and Lena barely caught her before she collapsed completely. "We have to stop this. It's too much—Stef can't give any more."

"No," Stef whispered, her head lolling on Lena's shoulder, her arm still outstretched. "I'm all right."

"You're not," Lena cried. "You're so weak. I can feel it." She shot Ashley an imploring glance. "Please. This is killing her!"

Stef laughed weakly, her lips ice cold against Lena's neck. "You're not afraid of the dead, remember."

"Vampire," Ashley snapped, "are you blood-bonded?"

Stef was silent. Ashley cursed and bent over her feeding centuri.

"Alex." Ashley gently cupped Alex's chin and drew her face away from Stef's arm. "You have to stop."

Alex didn't struggle, but almost instantly stopped breathing and went limp.

"Alpha!" Bo cried. "Let her drink. We can't let her—"

"Wait." Ashley gripped Alex's shoulders and called Alex's wolf. Deep inside, her own wolf rose. Her wounds flared and burned, but her wolf was strong. She let her power flow to Alex, calling to the part of Alex that was hers and would always be hers.

Alex's body jerked and her eyes shot open, blank and unseeing. She sucked in a breath as if she were drowning. Then she shimmered and shifted. The sleek brown wolf immediately collapsed, but her chest rose and fell and her heart beat. Ashley sighed, weak and nearly drained. Her _centuri_ would live.

"Stef! God, Stef!" Lena clutched Stef tightly. "She's unconscious. What's happening?"

Ashley passed Alex to Dyson. "Get her to the Rover."

"Yes, Alpha." Dyson gently lifted the wolf and held her against his chest.

"Aiden—go with him. Secure the street. Make sure the shooter is gone."

"Yes, Alpha," Aiden barked out, shielding both Dyson and Alex as he led the way.

"Stef's not breathing." Lena choked, panic squeezing her throat closed. "She's _dying_."

"She'll rise," Bo said. "She's a Vampire."

"No, not without a blood bond," Ashley said. "If she dies now, she won't animate. She needs blood now before she dies. She needs to feed."

"I'll do it," Lena said quickly. "Tell me—"

"You're not strong enough," Ashley said. "Give her to me. Hurry."

"Alpha," Bo exclaimed, "what are you doing? You're wounded. You can't—"

"I won't let her die," Ashley snarled. "She saved my wolf."

"Then I'll feed her!" Bo shouldered her way between Ashley and Stef. Kneeling, she tore off her shirt, grasped Stef's limp body, and pulled Stef into her lap. She opened her jugular with a quick slice of her claw and pressed Stef's mouth to the wound. With surprising gentleness, she whispered, "Feed, Vampire. Don't die."

Stef shuddered, her lids fluttering. The lure of potent Were blood drew her back from the edge of a gaping abyss. With a snarl, she lifted her head, her eyes on fire, and sank her incisors into Bo's neck.

Bo jerked at the shock, her eyes shifting to deep chestnut before her lids slowly closed. Moaning softly, she swayed, her grip on Stef's shoulders loosening.

"Let me help." Lena slid behind Bo and supported the enthralled Were against her chest. Bo's head dropped onto Lena's shoulder as Stef drank in deep pulls from her neck. Lena felt Bo tremble, heard her whimpering with pleasure. Stef's eyes opened and locked on Lena's, and Lena couldn't look away. The force of Stef's hunger held her captive, and Lena wanted nothing more than to satisfy her. Suddenly the black of Stef's irises flamed the color of the blood painting the room, and Bo arched violently. Stef snarled and bit deeper.

Bo roared and her hips jerked convulsively. Lena embraced the writhing Were, stunned and horrified to find herself aroused in the midst of carnage.

Ashley twisted her hand in Stef's hair and pulled her away from Bo's neck. "Careful, Vampire. Don't drain her."

Mindless with bloodlust, Stef snarled and thrashed in Ashley's hold.

Bo protested weakly, "Don't stop her."

Stef tried to bury her incisors in Bo's neck again. Ashley rumbled a warning and dragged her back a few more inches.

"More," Stef growled, her chest heaving.

Lena released Bo, who curled up on the floor, her face slack with satiation. Carefully, Lena half crawled to Stef and caressed her cheek, unheeding of the dangerous incisors flashing inches from her hand. "Stef. Stef, it's all right."

"_Need_ _more_."

"I know, I know," Lena murmured, stroking the back of Stef's neck. "But you can wait, can't you? You don't want to hurt her, do you?"

Stef shook as if in the throes of a violent chill and stared at Lena, recognition slowly dawning in her eyes. With a jolt, she broke Ashley's grip and pushed away from the others. "Get away from me. All of you. Get out."

Ashley grasped Bo by the back of the neck and lifted her upright. Supporting Bo with an arm around her waist, she said, "My Pack is in your debt, Vampire."

"You may not thank me when your _centuri_ wakes up hungry," Stef said. "I need to be there when she does. When I've taken care of my needs, I'll come."

"We'll look after Alex until you arrive."

"You need to see to your own wounds, Wolf," Stef said, her gaze on the still-bleeding hole in Ashley's shoulder.

"Don't be concerned. We're not as delicate as you." Ashley sent a silent call to Dyson and the door opened.

"Alpha?" Dyson asked.

"Take Bo."

Dyson carried Bo outside and Ashley followed him to the door. "Watch your back, Vampire. The shooter's still out there. Perhaps he has more than one target."

"His bullets were silver," Stef reminded her.

"Enough bullets would put you down long enough to take your head," Ashley said. "And I need you in good health to look after my wolf."

"Don't be concerned. We are not as slow as you."

Ashley's eyes flashed at the challenge and she smiled. "We'll see one day. Take care, Vampire."

Once the room was clear, Stef gave Lena a flat stare. "You need to leave. Use the phone down the hall to call a cab. Take a raincoat from the closet by the door to cover your clothes."

"I'm not leaving you like this. You were practically dead." Lena got unsteadily to her feet. She was soaked in blood, but she wasn't physically hurt. Stef no longer looked like she was on the verge of death, but her face was gaunt and hollow, her eyes sunken. She was dangerously weak and trying to hide it. "I know you need to feed more. Feed from me."

"I don't want you." Stef gave her a mocking smile. "Don't worry, I'll be well taken care of."

And then she was gone. Lena blinked, looking around the blood-drenched foyer. She was alone and the house was completely silent.

"Fine, you ungrateful bastard, I'll go." Lena stormed over to the antique phone and yanked the receiver out of its cradle. "But you haven't gotten rid of me."

* * *

As Dyson rocketed them north toward the Compound, Aiden sat with his back braced against the sidewall of the Rover with Alex, nude and in skin form again, in his arms. Bo slumped beside him, slowly regaining strength and awareness.

"How is she?" Ashley asked.

"She shifted back as soon as we got outside," Aiden said. "She's unconscious."

Ashley struggled to stay upright on the bench across from him. She needed to shift, and soon, if she was going to have any hope of healing her wounds. The acid burn spreading through her chest and abdomen signaled the toxin was spreading fast. She unbuttoned her shirt and examined the bullet wound high on the right side of her abdomen, the one she had been careful not to let the others see. Had her centuri realized the extent of her wounds, they might have been able to overpower her and force her back to the Compound, and she could not leave Alex or the Vampire to die. The flesh around both bullet wounds was black and festered. Silver. She shivered and broke out into a sweat. The muscles in her abdomen and legs contracted violently and she fell to her knees on the floor of the van, barely catching herself with an outstretched arm. She couldn't shift here. If she did, and the fever took her, she would be a danger to them all.

"Alpha!" Aiden cried.

Bo shook herself and crouched down beside Ashley, circling Ashley's shoulders with her arm. "Alpha, you need to shift."

"Not until we reach the Compound."

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes," Bo insisted. "Please, Ashley—shift."

Ashley held Bo's gaze fiercely. "Secure our borders. This might have been the first wave of an all-out assault."

"Dyson," Bo called, her focus never leaving Ashley's face. "Call John—tell him to reinforce our borders. General alert."

"Yes, _Imperator_," Dyson called back.

"Spencer." Ashley coughed up blood, black with silver poisoning. "Safeguard her."

"Yes, Alpha," Bo said, her eyes wild with panic.

"I love you, Bo." Gritting her teeth against the excruciating pain, Ashley cupped Bo's face in her palm and forced herself to stay conscious until she could give what might be her last order. "Lead my Pack. Protect my wolves. When the time comes, kill me."


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Leo Lewis burst into the recovery room where Spencer was hastily pulling on her clothes. "Lauren, Chelsea just called. You must return to the Compound immediately."

"Why?" Lauren exclaimed.

"What's happened?" Spencer demanded.

"There are wounded."

"Ashley!" Spencer winced as the pain in her chest exacerbated. "She's hurt, isn't she?"

"I don't know." Leo hesitated. "But you are safer here. The Alpha would not want you in danger."

Spencer wanted to howl in rage. Ignoring him, she grabbed Lauren's arm. She needed to be with Ashley. Nothing else mattered. "Hurry."

The wait for the elevator was interminable. The huge ground-level atrium was filled with male and female Weres in gray BDUs, armed with sidearms and assault rifles, streaming toward the entrances. A dark-haired female stopped them before they reached the exit to the parking lot where Lauren had left her car.

"We're needed at the Compound," Lauren explained.

"Yes, ma'am. A security team will escort you both." The female inclined her head toward Spencer deferentially.

"I have my car," Lauren said.

"We are at general alert," the guard replied. "I cannot permit you to leave without protection."

"Fine, whatever it takes," Spencer said, "but we must hurry."

Even as she spoke, an armored vehicle similar to the ones she'd seen at the Compound screeched to a halt in front of the door. More guards hurried inside and quickly surrounded them. Spencer allowed herself to be shepherded into the rear of the vehicle.

"We'll be there soon," Lauren murmured. "How do you feel?"

"I just need to find Ashley." Spencer clenched her fists on her thighs and closed her eyes. The surface of her body burned despite the fine sheen of adrenaline-spiked hormones coating her skin. She smelled Ashley, and her, and their unique union. She didn't know who she was or what she would become or if she would even live long enough to find out. She didn't care. She knew all she needed to know. She needed to be with Ashley. Her every instinct, every emotion, every physical impulse told her this was true. A truth she might not understand, but could not question.

She clambered forward between the seats occupied by two male Weres, their expressions fiercely savage. "Stay on the highway as long as you can before turning onto an access road to the Compound. You'll make better time. Do you have a radar detector in this thing? We don't want to be picked up."

The male Were behind the wheel glanced at her, nostrils flaring. His eyes dropped to the level of her shoulder. "Yes."

"If anyone attempts to intercept us, try to outrun them. If that fails, run them off the road. Just get me to the Compound."

He straightened to attention and snapped, "Understood!"

* * *

No one tried to stop them on their mad dash north. Perhaps local law enforcement recognized the vehicle as one of Ashley's and passed them on. Still, the thirty-minute journey seemed endless, and by the time the Compound came into view through a break in the forest, Spencer was ready to claw her way out of the back of the Rover. The gates, heavily fortified with armed guards stationed on a narrow walkway running along the top of the stockade, swung open at their approach. Their driver barely slowed as they careened through.

"The infirmary," Spencer ordered. She didn't wait for him to stop but shoved open the rear doors and jumped out while they were still moving. She hit the ground running, barely noticing the jarring sensation as she landed. She'd never felt so strong, so certain of her destination. Aiden and Dyson flanked the door to the infirmary. "Where is she!"

"Inside," Aiden said, moving to block the door, "but—"

He was sixty pounds of muscle heavier than her, but she had speed and will on her side. She caught him by surprise when she turned her shoulder into him, hitting him square in the chest. He grunted and gave way. Spencer slammed the door open and barreled into the building.

"Stop," Bo shouted, barring the way to a closed door halfway down the hall.

"Get out of my way," Spencer growled.

Bo, her eyes deep mahogany, snarled a warning. She lunged forward before Spencer could react and knocked her onto her back. Pinning Spencer with a knee on Spencer's chest, she thrust her claws into Spencer's throat, millimeters short of tearing out her trachea. "You don't belong here, _mutia_."

Spencer's wolf went wild. She would not be dominated. She would not be kept from Ashley. Acting on pure instinct, she clubbed Bo on the side of the head, stunning her for a few critical seconds. Rearing up, she grabbed Bo by the throat and threw her off. Before Bo could retaliate, Spencer leapt, straddled her chest, and choked her. "You will not keep me from her."

Bo thrashed, snapping at Spencer's arms, slashing Spencer's shoulders and chest.

Going for the kill, Spencer's claws shot out and she thrust them into Bo's neck.

Howling in agony, Bo arched and writhed. Blood jetted from the wounds in her throat onto her chest. Her agonized cry was that of a dying soul reaching out in the darkness for connection, for family, for home. For Pack.

Her cry struck Spencer's heart, and the red haze of her fury evaporated. Bo was Pack. Bo was Ashley's. Bo was hers.

"She needs me," Spencer said, easing her hold on Bo's neck. She pressed down on the punctures she'd made and they immediately stopped bleeding.

"No one can help her." Tears streamed down Bo's face. "It's too late."

"You're wrong," Spencer whispered, as certain as she had ever been of anything in her life. She got to her knees, letting Bo slide out from under her.

Lauren, followed by Aiden and Dyson, crowded around them. Lauren exclaimed, "Oh my God. Spencer, your arm."

Spencer stared at the arm that was no longer an arm, but a limb covered in sleek silver fur and tipped with lethal claws. When she spoke, her words were thick and guttural, barely recognizable to her own ears. "What is happening?"

Bo touched Spencer's face, her own features contorted with shock. "You've partially shifted. No one but the Alpha can do that."

"The Alpha's mate can," Aiden murmured.

"Is Chelsea with her?" Spencer got unsteadily to her feet. Her arm ached and when she looked again, her hand appeared like her hand once more.

"No one is with her," Bo said. "She ordered us out when she shifted. We wanted to stay, but as soon as she shifted…" Bo's voice broke. "She waited too long and there are too many wounds. Too much toxin, spreading too fast." She straightened, her face a mask of sorrow. "She's not broadcasting to us. She's lost in her wolf. She's rabid."

"No, she isn't," Spencer said. The place inside her that only Ashley had ever touched resounded with life. She knew if Ashley were gone that space inside her would become a cold, dark void that would expand until she was swallowed by darkness. If that ever happened, she would surrender without a struggle. Without Ashley's warmth and passion and light shining somewhere in her life, she would be lost. "She's not gone."

Bo looked at her without anger, but with endless pity. "She ordered that I execute her, and I will follow her orders unto death. You will have to kill me to stop me."

"If the need ever comes, I won't stop you. You are her right hand and her brave heart. But you will not die today, and neither will she." Spencer cupped Bo's jaw. "You are her second, and right now, you need to safeguard the Pack. Who is her third?"

Aiden stepped forward. "I am."

"Then you both know what you need to do. I am not going to let her die." Spencer turned to Lauren. "Help Chelsea prepare an operating room."

"She won't recognize you," Bo cautioned as Spencer reached for the closed door. "She'll tear you apart."

Spencer paused and brushed the backs of her fingers over Bo's cheek. "She won't hurt me. But if I'm wrong, don't let her suffer."

* * *

Spencer eased into the moonlit room. The bed was empty. A low, ominous growl emanated from the far corner of the room.

"Ashley?"

The growl became a snarl. The fine hairs on the back of Spencer's neck stood up and her wolf stirred uneasily. Spencer recognized her wolf now, her wariness, her strength, her bravery. Her stubborn refusal to be dominated. Her wolf wanted to shift. Spencer wanted it. Her bones slid over one another, the pain nearly dropping her to her knees. Her muscles stretched to the point of tearing. Her sex spasmed and tears ran from her eyes. She brushed her forearm impatiently across her face. She couldn't shift. She still didn't know how to give her wolf control without losing herself.

"Ashley," Spencer said gently, lowering herself to her knees. She let her hands fall open at her sides, exposing her chest and belly to the darkened room. "It's Spencer."

She had no warning—no scrape of claws on wood, no flash of charcoal pelt in the moonlight—before the massive beast struck her in the torso and took her down by the throat. Every instinct primed her to fight, and her canines and claws thrust out. But she didn't fight. The black wolf snarled in her face. She lifted her chin and gave the wolf her neck.

"Ashley, I won't hurt you. I will never hurt you."

Claws gouged into her chest and raked her belly, drawing fire and blood. The wolf-gold eyes staring into hers were filled with nothing but rage and pain, completely devoid of recognition. Blood matted the thick fur on the wolf's chest and belly. Spencer's heart ached for Ashley's pain.

Slowly, Spencer raised her hand. "Let me help you. Let the Pack heal you."

The wolf pulled back her lips, her eyes narrowed, and her ears slanted back. She was preparing to attack.

"I love you." Spencer stroked the wolf's powerful head. "I need you. We all need you."

The heavy muscles in the wolf's shoulders bunched.

"They hurt you," Spencer whispered, gently caressing the wolf's uninjured shoulder. Her tears mixed with Ashley's blood. "But you're strong. Your wolf is strong. Ashley. Find her. Help her."

Spencer wrapped both arms around the wolf's neck and rested her cheek against the enormous muzzle. Blood dripped onto the floor and the huge body swayed. "Fight, Ashley. Please, love. Fight."

The wolf shook her head, whined uncertainly. Spencer pushed to a sitting position and drew the great jet black head to her chest, ready to beg and bargain with any power that might exist to spare this glorious creature, this brave and noble being whose fierce strength and generous heart had captured hers. She buried her face in the ruff that smelled like Ashley and her and them together.

"I love you. Ashley, please come back. I need you. I need you so much."

The wolf licked her neck and, with a sigh, lay down in Spencer's lap. Careful of the wounds, Spencer wrapped her arms even more protectively around her. "I love you."

_You shouldn't have come here_. Ashley's voice, steady, strong. Spencer's tears dampened the glossy fur beneath her cheek but her heart raced with joy. _Where else would I be_?

_Somewhere_ _safe_.

Spencer rubbed her chin on the wolf's head. _I'm always safe with you. Will you trust_ _me?_

_Always. _

_Will you let me help you? _

_Yes. _

Then the immense wolf closed her eyes and surrendered to Spencer's embrace.

_Bo_, Spencer telegraphed, _we_ _need_ _you_.


	32. Chapter 32

**Rated M**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Stef pulled the Porsche into the Were Compound just before dawn. She walked around to the passenger side and opened the door. "Are you sure?"

"Of course, darling," Theresa Diaz said. "I can't wait. Especially after you dragged me away from work but refused to let me feed you."

"This could be dangerous—she's going to need to feed every few hours." Stef had already warned Theresa that newly turned Vampires in bloodlust were insatiable and could easily kill a host. "I can find a Were to feed her."

"No." Theresa's color heightened. "You know I want this. And I trust you."

"If she needs more than you can give, I'll still need a Were to join us."

"All the better."

"I hope you arranged for coverage at the morgue—we won't be leaving here today." Stef led Theresa toward Bo, who, shirtless and barefoot, stood on the porch of a nearby building with her hands on her hips and legs spread wide, watching them through narrowed eyes. A faint dusting of red-brown at the waistband of the low-slung black pants she hadn't bothered to close matched her auburn hair.

Theresa's gaze traveled slowly over Bo's body. "Please tell me it's her."

"No," Stef said impassively, taking in the tightly muscled chest and abdomen, the strong thighs, the toned arms, the full sensuous lips. The rich taste of the Were still lingered even though she had fed from one of her human hosts after fleeing from Becca. Her bloodlust was unsated and now the memory of the orgasm this Were had induced, as hot and powerful as the essence Stef had consumed, taunted her. "No, not her."

"Pity. She's an amazing specimen." Stef climbed the stairs and stopped one step below Bo, their eyes level. "How is your Alpha?"

"The medics are seeing to her."

"I need to speak with her."

"When she is available."

Stef frowned. "How serious is it?"

"The Alpha is not your concern," Bo said. "Especially considering she was shot on your doorstep when no one knew we would be there."

"I owe you much, Wolf, but you do not want to make an enemy of me." Stef let the hunger rise and caught Bo's gaze. Bo's mahogany eyes glazed. "You would do better to give me your neck again."

Bo shivered and fought for control. She was already close to frenzy from her fight with Spencer and the constant lash of adrenaline as she worked to secure the Compound's defenses. Seeing this Vampire, remembering her bite and the volcanic release that had stripped her of her last drop, made her stiffen and throb. She wanted teeth in her neck again and fire burning in her blood. Lust warred with her need to dominate and she growled, flashing a challenge.

"Some other time," Stef murmured, reading the need in the Were's eyes that echoed her own. "I am here to see to my newling."

"We don't know that yet," Bo snarled.

"She has not awakened?"

"She's been restless but still unaware."

"Good—then we can feed her as soon as she wakes." Stef drew Theresa up beside her. "Dr. Diaz has graciously volunteered to host if necessary."

"Come with me." Bo abruptly turned and led them down the left wing and into a room lit by a single lantern perched atop a narrow chest of drawers. Wooden shutters had been closed to block out the emerging sunlight. Bo indicated the darkened corner where Alex lay under a thin sheet. "We can't tell if she's in pain. What should we be looking for?"

Stef shook her head. "If she's turned, you'll know. Her hunger will be agonizing and she'll attack any source of nourishment."

"But one of us can feed her, can't we?" Bo asked.

"How many of you have experience hosting?"

"I don't know. Some, definitely." Bo's jaw tightened. "That's why I'm here. I'll feed her."

"She'll be difficult to control, frightened. And you cannot host again so soon."

"I'm a Were. We heal and regenerate quickly."

"I know that." Stef nodded toward Theresa. "But it's better she have an experienced host the first few times. After all, it's more than just feeding, isn't it?"

"I'll do whatever she needs," Bo said with an edge. She'd never tangled with Alex, but she would give Alex her blood and her body and her throat if that was what she needed. They were _centuri_, oath-bonded to each other as well as the Alpha. "We won't lose her."

"Even if she has turned?"

Bo's lip curled. "She is ours. Vampire or Were, it doesn't matter."

"She's lucky, then." Stef studied Bo. "After sundown I can take her out to hunt. If she needs more than Theresa can give before then, I'll use you."

"I'll be ready." Stef cupped Theresa's elbow and drew her close. "Are you?"

"Very ready," Theresa said, her eyes on Alex.

Leave us," Stef said to Bo. "I'll take care of her."

Bo hesitated, then reluctantly left.

"She's so beautiful," Theresa murmured when Stef led her to the bed.

Alex lay motionless, her blonde hair contrasting sharply with her pale, gaunt face. Stef slid the sheet down and smoothed her hand over Alex's chest to cradle her breast. Alex's flesh was as flawless and smooth as ivory. A faint pulse, slow and distant, beat beneath her perfect breast. Stef said to Theresa, "Take off your dress."

Wordlessly, her avid gaze on Alex's face, Theresa complied. She dropped the garment carelessly on the end of the bed and sat beside Alex.

"Is she alive?" Theresa whispered.

"Yes." Stef stroked Alex's angular jaw, running her thumb over her full lower lip. "Alex. Alex, wake up."

Alex's eyes snapped open and rolled wildly. She lurched upward, snarling, no sign of reason in her whiskey-gold eyes.

"Listen to me," Stef said firmly, grasping Alex's face in both hands, capturing Alex's gaze with hers. "You will do as I say."

Alex writhed, struggling to break Stef's grip. "Pain. Have to stop the pain."

"I know." Stef tightened her hold, her fingertips digging into the angle of Alex's jaw, forcing her mouth open. Alex's incisors slid from their sheaths and her eyes flickered like flames against a midnight sky. "Theresa, touch her."

Theresa pushed the sheet completely aside and stretched out next to Alex's naked body. She caressed the arch of Alex's hip and pressed a kiss to the inner curve of Alex's breast. Sliding her thigh between Alex's, she took a nipple into her mouth. Her eyes glazed as she sucked and stroked her, her hips undulating slowly.

Alex's face was savage as she gripped Theresa's hips, pulling her closer. Panting, she struggled to break Stef's grip. "I want her."

"Your hunger is her pleasure," Stef whispered, slowly releasing Alex. "Take what you crave. Give her what she needs."

Theresa looked up at Alex, her face dazed with desire. "Please."

Alex stared into Theresa's dark, eager eyes and then at the pounding pulse in her neck.

"I want you to taste me," Theresa whispered, tilting her head to one side. "I want to feed you."

Alex plunged her incisors into Theresa's neck. Theresa cried out, her back bowing. Stef knelt beside them, caressing Alex as she fed in wild, savage gulps. Alex thrust her thigh between Theresa's legs, her powerful hips churning.

"Oh, God, she's so strong." Theresa clutched Alex's hand and pushed it into the cleft between her legs. "Touch me. Oh, please."

Growling, Alex rolled Theresa under her and straddled her thigh. She buried her hand inside her and fed voraciously, her arm pumping in sync with the convulsive waves in her throat. Theresa clutched Alex's back, her pelvis lifting and falling, faster and faster.

"I'm coming," Theresa whimpered. "I'm coming."

Alex's hips spasmed and she released, burying her incisors even deeper.

Stef clamped her hand on the back of Alex's neck and pulled her mouth away from Theresa's neck. "Enough for now."

"No," Alex snapped, the bones in her face moving beneath her pale skin. Part Were, part Vampire. "I want her."

"You've fed enough," Stef insisted. "Feel her heartbeat—how fast, how thready. She can't give more right now. Let her rest."

Alex struggled against Stef's iron grip, rubbing her still erect clitoris over Theresa's thigh. "Need more."

"Let her take me," Theresa pleaded to Stef. She licked Alex's neck and caressed Alex's breasts with trembling hands. "Please. God. She feels so good. I'm on fire." She worked her hand lower. "She's so swollen still. She needs me."

"In a few minutes," Stef repeated. Alex needed to learn to tolerate the hunger, control her bloodlust, or she would never be safe around a host.

Alex growled threateningly. Her face contorted in fury. "I want her _now_."

"Look at her," Stef ordered. "She gave you life. You cannot take hers. Satisfy yourself another way."

The wild hunger in Alex's eyes retreated and she braced herself on her arms over Theresa's shivering form. Gently, she licked the puncture marks on Theresa's neck until they closed. "Will you let me taste you later?"

"Yes, oh yes," Theresa cried, twisting her fingers in Alex's hair. "Oh God yes, yes."

Alex moved lower, swirling her tongue over Theresa's erect nipples until Theresa writhed. When Alex kissed her way down Theresa's abdomen, Theresa reached fitfully for Stef.

"Kiss me," Theresa begged, pulling Stef down with a hand behind her neck. "Your eyes are so hungry. Let me feed you."

"Another day," Stef whispered, kissing Theresa as Alex pressed her mouth between Theresa's legs.

Theresa jolted and came in Alex's mouth, crying out her pleasure against Stef's throat. Bloodlust carving away her reason, Stef snarled and struggled not to bury her mouth in Theresa's neck.

Before Theresa's orgasm waned, Alex rocked to her knees and parted Theresa's sex with one hand and her own with the other. Panting, she thrust her clitoris into Theresa's center and pumped in short hard strokes.

"Oh my God." Theresa bucked in Stef's arms. "Oh God, she's making me come again."

Alex's pelvis jerked and her face contorted in rage and pleasure. Groaning, she fell onto Theresa and bit her shoulder. The bite plunged Theresa into another convulsive orgasm and Alex spent herself in a series of hard thrusts between Theresa's legs.

"God, oh God," Theresa murmured, stroking Alex's damp hair. "You're amazing. Incredible."

"I don't know what I am," Alex said bitterly, pushing herself up and off Theresa. Her eyes bleak, she stared at Stef. "I can feel you, like I feel the Alpha. What does that mean?"

"I turned you," Stef said. "We're connected."

"Was I dead?"

"Does it matter? Now you're a living Vampire."

"No." Alex pushed unsteadily to her feet. Naked, drenched in sweat and sex and blood, she said desperately, "I'm a _centuri_. I'm Pack."

"Yes, you are." Stef fixed on Alex, and Alex, moaning softly, swayed toward her. Stef kissed her. "You are also mine."


	33. Chapter 33

**Rated Mmm**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Moisture dripped into Spencer's eyes and she rubbed her face against her upper arm. Her blurry vision wasn't from the sweat running into her eyes, but from the tears she barely held back. The wounds in Ashley's chest and abdomen were like nothing she'd ever seen before. Far worse than Kyla's had been. Even the worst cases of gangrene had never been so completely destructive, so relentlessly nihilistic. The beautiful wolf was dying before her eyes.

"We have to get the rest of the silver out of her," Spencer said. "Now. We're out of time."

"I don't know how," Chelsea said desperately.

Spencer and Chelsea had probed the wounds for an hour, trying to locate and remove the silver bullets that were poisoning Ashley. They hadn't been able to find a single one.

"The Alpha has always been the one to do this," Lauren said from the head of the operating table where she monitored Ashley's vital signs. "Her fever is still climbing—I've never seen one so high. If we don't do something, we're going to lose her."

The leash Spencer had kept on the beast inside of her snapped. Her wolf roared to life—part of her now, not some foreign being, but an intimate, integral part. Her very essence. And her wolf knew, just as she knew, as surely as she breathed, that Ashley was hers, and she would not let her die.

Spencer didn't see Ashley lying on the table. She didn't see the Alpha. She saw her own heart. And she saw an enemy. An enemy threatening to take from her everything that mattered. She would not surrender Ashley to that enemy while her own heart beat. With a wild cry, she plunged her claws into the wound. The poison deep in Ashley's body, festering and vile, drew her like the feral scent of an intruder in her territory. She attacked without mercy, defending what was hers. Protecting the one most precious to her.

She found the first bullet and ripped it free. Bright red blood bubbled out in her wake and Chelsea quickly pressed a clean bandage to the wound. Spencer didn't hesitate, but tore into the wound in Ashley's belly. She found a second bullet, then a third nearby.

"That's all," Spencer gasped. "How is she?"

When no one answered, Spencer looked up from the wounds and found Chelsea and Lauren staring at her with shocked expressions. She followed their stunned gazes and found that her arm had shifted again. She hadn't felt it or intended it. She should probably be frightened, but she didn't care what was happening to her. Ashley was dying, and with her, Spencer's every reason for being.

"Ashley? How is she?"

Lauren jerked back to awareness and quickly scanned the monitors. "Her fever is coming down. So is her heart rate."

"Look," Chelsea said in amazement. "She's healing!"

Spencer turned back to the gaping holes in Ashley's chest and abdomen. The necrotic tissue was receding, and healthy skin and fur were growing back. The wolf was healing. Ashley would live. Spencer's vision dimmed and her legs trembled, and for a moment she thought she would fall. She gripped the table to steady herself.

"We need to get her somewhere quiet. She might be disoriented when she wakes up." Spencer saw Lauren and Chelsea exchange worried glances. Ashley had survived the fever, but would she emerge undamaged and in control of her wolf, the deadliest wolf in the Pack? Spencer wouldn't believe otherwise. She wouldn't lose her now. "Get her ready to move. I'll tell the others."

Spencer stripped off her coverings and went out into the hall. Bo and Dyson crowded around, enclosing her. They needed contact, and she realized that she did too. She slung her arms around their shoulders. Their unyielding presence steadied her.

"The Alpha?" Bo asked gruffly.

"She's healing. Now we just have to wait for her to wake up."

"Has she shifted back?" Dyson's face was creased with fatigue and worry.

"Not yet." Spencer knew they all shared the same unspoken fear. A rabid wolf could not shift form. "I'll stay with her until she does."

"That's dangerous," Bo protested. "If she wakes up rabid—"

"Would you have her fight this fight alone?" Spencer asked softly.

"She's not alone, she has the Pack."

Bo's eyes were tortured and Spencer doubted she could survive Ashley's loss. The Alpha and her second weren't mated, but they were bound almost as strongly. She caressed Bo's face. "And your strength will help her. Hold on to your connection to her—" Spencer scanned their faces. "She needs the Pack with her. It's you she lives for. It's you she needs."

"Not as much as you," Bo murmured.

"All of us," Spencer repeated. "Is the Compound secure? She'll want to know."

"Yes," Bo said, her voice stronger. "We've had a few reports of incursions in our Northern Territory, but that's not unusual. The Blackpaws test our border defense regularly."

"What about Alex?"

"She's most likely turned," Bo said, her eyes and voice devoid of inflection.

"What will happen?" Spencer asked.

Bo shook her head. "I don't know. She might lose some or all of her Were traits."

"Her turning could prevent her from shifting again?" Spencer couldn't imagine what that would do to a dominant Were like Alex, whose very purpose in life was to fight and protect her Pack.

"She hasn't shifted again since the Alpha called her wolf, right after she fed from the Vampire. She didn't hold her wolf long, even then." Bo hesitated, and then revealed a secret only a very few Weres knew. "Some Weres voluntarily blood-bond with Vampires. Most lose their ability to shift when they do."

"You mean they mate with a Vampire?"

"Yes." Bo grimaced. "They trade their most powerful gift to live with the dead."

"Maybe their love is stronger—more important—than even that," Spencer suggested gently.

"It's not love." Bo couldn't block out what was happening in Alex's room, even though she'd retreated to another part of the building when she'd heard the human female's cry of ecstasy and Alex's roar of release. Her sex had tightened with a rush of pleasure and she was still ready. When Stef had fed from her, she'd burst more ferociously than she ever had before. The intensity was exquisite. Addicting. Even now she couldn't think of it without needing desperately to release. "The Vampire is with her now. Let me help you with the Alpha."

"Yes." Scenting Bo's call, Spencer said, "Once we've moved her, you should get some sleep. And take care of your other needs."

Bo's eyes narrowed and her lip curled. For some reason, she thought of Lauren and quickly abolished the image. If she let Lauren feel her call, she could seduce her and Lauren would not resent her for it. But Lauren rarely tangled and when she did, she always chose a non-dominant Were. Bo wouldn't draw Lauren into a liaison she would not willingly have sought. Nadia, on the other hand, was always willing. Bo's clitoris twinged at the image of Nadia's mouth on her. "I won't be far, if you or the Alpha need me."

"I know." Spencer started back to the treatment room when Bo grasped her arm.

"When she wakes up, her hormone level will be astronomical—from her injury, from the danger to the Pack, from Alex. She'll be in need." Bo grinned ruefully. "You know what I'm talking about. The same thing is happening to you right now."

Spencer couldn't deny it. Her hours of fear and anxiety had kicked her entire system into overdrive. Her heart raced, her pulse pounded, her clitoris was stiff and throbbing. "Whatever she needs, I'll take care of her."

* * *

Ashley glided through the forest as silent as a ghost, following the one trail out of dozens that would lead her home. The tangy scent of aged wine and autumn leaves was familiar, comforting, exciting. She ran effortlessly, powerfully, covering ground in great leaping strides. Her heart beat with pride and passion. She was the Alpha, the leader and protector of her Pack. She would always be their heart, as they were hers. But now she did not run alone. She was whole. She was healed.

Ashley's eyes flew open and she snarled.

"You're all right. You were hurt, but you're all right now." Spencer's heart brimmed with joy. She'd fallen asleep next to a wolf and awoken with a Were.

Ashley turned, her gaze seeking Spencer's. They were both nude and their legs naturally entwined. Ashley's nipples were tight and when her breasts brushed Spencer's, heat pooled in her belly. She pressed her palm to Spencer's stomach, steadying herself in Spencer's heat. "Alex? The Pack? Are they safe?"

"Yes. Everyone is. Bo has seen to it." Spencer slid her hands up and down Ashley's back. She loved her muscles, her taut skin, her wild scent. "How do you feel?"

"I dreamed of you," Ashley said, pressing her face against Spencer's throat and inhaling deeply. "I followed your scent. You led me home."

Spencer trembled, every instinct driving her to affirm her bond with Ashley. She wanted her. Needed her. She had to get away from her. "You should rest now."

Ashley grumbled a warning when Spencer tried to pull away. "You're in need. I feel your call."

"I can't help it"

"Why should you?" Ashley kissed her. "I woke up ready for you."

"Please," Spencer murmured, her skin sheened with want. Her clitoris was swollen, her glands so hard she could barely stand the pressure of Ashley's thigh between her legs. "I can't fight you any longer."

"No, you can't." Ashley nipped at Spencer's lower lip and soothed the tiny bite with her tongue. She rumbled with pleasure when Spencer's mouth took hers in a hard, fierce kiss. She wanted Spencer to take all she had to give. She wanted to meet passion with passion. Their tongues clashed and then gentled, whispering over and around each other as if dancing in moonlight. Ashley caught Spencer's hand and guided it between her legs. She closed Spencer's fingers around her clitoris. "This is for you."

"It's not safe," Spencer protested, but she couldn't stop touching her. Ashley was so hot and hard and wet already. She knew Ashley wasn't thinking, couldn't be, not after what she'd been through, what her body demanded now. But Spencer didn't have the strength to deny her. She needed Ashley just as badly—needed to feel Ashley's power, vibrant and vital. "I want all of you. I won't be able to stop."

"I don't want you to stop." Ashley scraped her canines down Spencer's throat. "You're mine. I want to come on you."

"I want you all over me." Spencer moaned and rubbed against her. Ashley's clitoris swelled between her fingers. "I want you. I'm afraid—I'm afraid I'll hurt you."

"You calmed my wolf. You brought me back." Ashley kissed Spencer again, her eyes going wolf-gold. "You said you loved me."

Spencer threaded her fingers through Ashley's hair and pulled Ashley's head back. She licked the rippling pulse. "I do. I do love you."

Ashley cupped Spencer's sex, teasing her fingertips just inside her as she pressed her palm down on Spencer's clitoris. "Then I'm going to claim what's mine."

Hunger, a need more intense than anything Spencer had ever known, exploded in her chest. She pushed Ashley onto her back and dragged her mouth down Ashley's throat to her breast. She caught a nipple between her teeth and tugged on it. "Not before I take what's mine."

Ashley growled and her claws shot out. "Be careful, Wolf. Don't challenge me."

"Or else what?" Spencer settled her chest between Ashley's legs and circled Ashley's nipple with her tongue. When Ashley grasped her shoulders and tried to dislodge her, Spencer shook her off and skimmed her mouth down the center of Ashley's abdomen. "Or else what, Alpha?"

"I won't be gentle."

"I don't expect you to be." Spencer licked the fine midnight line between the hard ridges of Ashley's abdominal muscles. Ashley's clitoris pulsated against her breast, satin soft and hot. "I'm going to make you come in my mouth."

Ashley's hips jerked. "Are you?"

"I'm going to drink you until I've had my fill." Spencer pinned Ashley's wrists to the bed on either side of her hips and raised her head to see Ashley's face. Ashley's canines protruded. So did hers. "Then you can do whatever you want."

"Why should I wait?" Ashley snarled.

"Why?" Spencer licked Ashley's clitoris, slowly swirling her tongue over the head and down the rigid shaft. "You like this, don't you?"

Ashley yanked one hand free and grasped Spencer's neck, her claws pressing but not puncturing. "Yes."

"So do I." Spencer sucked, careful not to push her canines into the glands near the base of Ashley's clitoris. She didn't want to make her release right away, and she knew Ashley wanted to. She intended to savor her. She wanted to pleasure her. She wanted to own her.

"Harder," Ashley gasped, her body straining under Spencer's. "Take me all the way in."

"Not yet," Spencer murmured, toying with Ashley on the tip of her tongue. She massaged Ashley's stomach with one hand until the tense muscles relaxed a fraction. "That's better." She flicked at Ashley's clitoris and quickly skimmed lower, basking in Ashley's essence. Ashley's legs jumped. "I love how ready you are. So fierce and beautiful."

"Spencer," Ashley growled. "Make me come."

"And so impatient." Laughing, Spencer slid her fingers into her. Instantly, she was surrounded by hot, firm muscles. The internal extension of Ashley's clitoris throbbed and she massaged the fullness gently with her fingertips. Ashley thrashed, an ominous rumble rising from her chest. Spencer licked her again. "You're almost there."

Breaking Spencer's hold, Ashley reared up and grabbed Spencer's head, forcing her clitoris between Spencer's lips.

"Suck me," she demanded, her face contorted with savage pleasure. "I'm ready to come."

Spencer wanted to keep her that close forever, but she couldn't wait any longer either. She had to have her. She wanted the taste of Ashley in her mouth, in her memory, in every conscious and unconscious part of her. She wanted her, needed her, body and soul. Drawing Ashley deep into her mouth, Spencer slid her hand down Ashley's belly and massaged the base of her clitoris while she sucked her.

"Yes, now," Ashley gasped, erupting into Spencer's mouth. She came harder and longer than she ever had and still her hips pumped. More, she needed more. She needed to give more, take more. She needed to be joined. A wild raging hunger stormed through her, and she flipped Spencer onto her back. "Mine."

"Yes," Spencer cried, so full and so ready she wanted to scream for release. Wrapping her legs around Ashley's hips, she reached down and opened herself. Instantly the swollen ridge of Ashley's clitoris glided between her folds. When Ashley thrust, Spencer rose to meet her. She was so close and never close enough. "Come inside me. Can you come inside me?"

"Bite me." Ashley's wolf-gold eyes burned into Spencer's. "Bite me now."

With a strangled cry, Spencer buried her canines in Ashley's chest. Ashley's clitoris, stiff with the rush of her orgasm, throbbed wildly in Spencer's sex. Ashley bit Spencer's shoulder when she came, and Spencer exploded with her.

"I love you," Ashley gasped, collapsing in Spencer's arms.

Even as Spencer held Ashley, shuddering and spent, her heart shattered. She wanted nothing more than to hold Ashley for the rest of her life. To spend her life by Ashley's side. But what if she was damaged, truly _mutia_? She couldn't stay with Ashley if her presence made Ashley a target with the other Weres, with rivals in her own Pack. Leaving Ashley now would kill Spencer, but even death could not make her regret this perfect moment. For the first time in her life she knew she was not alone.


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Even asleep, Spencer knew immediately when Ashley left her. The places where their bodies had touched while they'd slept wrapped in one another were cold. Where moments before she had been content and satisfied, now she churned with want. The bite on her shoulder throbbed and she wanted Ashley's mouth there again. Aching for Ashley inside her again, Spencer watched Ashley lope silently away. She could not fathom how she could survive being separated from her when she already yearned for the sight and scent and sound of her.

Spencer forced herself to get up. She found a stack of shirts and pants in the closet and got dressed. Her hands trembled. She was edgy, anxious, like she had been when she was first transformed, only worse. She wanted Ashley, only Ashley, and she wanted her with a fierceness that drove reason aside. She was covered in sex sweat, her stomach cramped and twisting. She wondered if she had a fever, if her cells were even now breaking down, releasing the mutagenic chemicals that would make her a danger to everyone around her. She'd bitten Ashley, let Ashley bite her. Had she infected her, put Ashley's life at risk? She was a medic. She knew better than to ask questions when what she needed was data, and she was determined to get it. She had to know, once and for all, if she was a risk to those she loved.

She found Dyson standing guard in the hall when she left her room. He smiled a greeting.

"Have you seen Lauren?" Spencer asked.

"She just came in a few minutes ago. I think she's in the laboratory."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, Prima."

Spencer halted. "I'm sorry?"

Dyson looked confused.

"You called me something. Prima?"

"Oh," Dyson said, his face clearing. His blue eyes sparkled. "I'll have to tell Hale he's falling down on his job. He should have explained all of this to you."

"Explained what?"

"As the Alpha's mate you are the Prima—equivalent within Pack hierarchy to the Alpha. The only one more dominant is the Alpha herself." He shrugged. "There can only be one Alpha, one leader. Because you are the Alpha's mate and essential to her strength and well-being, the _centuri_ are bound to protect you as we would her. As will all the Pack."

Spencer couldn't deny her bond with Ashley. She wouldn't deny it. She loved her. She had claimed her. And Ashley had claimed her. "I guess I don't have any say in all that, do I?"

Dyson grinned. "I'm afraid not." His expression grew more serious. "It's not just Pack law, or even a matter of instinct. Our entire existence is dependent upon our preserving hierarchical order. We are predators, and without a strong Alpha, our society will fail. We need her. She needs you."

"Does everyone know we're bonded?" Spencer asked, wondering what would happen if she had to leave.

"Yes, we can feel your connection to the Alpha, just as we feel her. And the two of you—your scents have merged." He regarded her thoughtfully. "Can you feel the Pack?"

"Yes," Spencer said. "I have since Ashley first called my wolf, but it's much stronger now. It's like looking up into the night sky at thousands of stars and knowing that I am indelibly linked to each one. I may be standing alone, but I am never isolated, never adrift. I'm connected."

"Exactly. And the strongest, brightest guiding star is the Alpha."

"Ashley." Spencer felt a moment of rightness, as if she was exactly where she was supposed to be, doing exactly what she was born to do. Free from fear and worry for the first time in so long, she took a step forward, about to throw her arm around Dyson's shoulders. He suddenly looked panicked and jumped back.

"I'm sorry," Spencer said.

"No," Dyson said hastily. "You didn't do anything wrong. I've wanted to touch you since you came out of the room. It's natural for us to bond that way. But you and the Alpha are newly mated, and newly mated dominants are even more territorial and aggressive than is usual for a mated pair. And she's the Alpha. If she smells me on you…" He grinned. "I would like to keep all my parts intact."

Spencer imagined anyone touching Ashley, and her possessive fury surged so hot and hard that she growled. She wanted Ashley's taste in her mouth. _Now_. "I understand."

Dyson clearly sensed her need because he said quickly, "She's with Alex, if you would like me to take you to her."

"No, I know she has things to tend to. And so do I. If she's looking for me—"

"She'll know where you are. She'll always know where you are."

"Will she?" Spencer said softly, wondering if she had any future with Ashley at all.

* * *

Ashley eased into the room and took in the figures on the bed. Stef sat with her back against the wall. Her shirt was open and her breasts bare. Alex and a naked human female Ashley didn't recognize reclined in Stef's lap, their limbs sinuously entwined. They appeared to be asleep.

"The sun is almost down," Ashley said.

"I know." Stef stroked Alex's hair. Alex rumbled in her sleep, a typical Were sound of pleasure, and caressed the dark-haired human's breast. "Alex's sleep cycles will be erratic for a few days. She'll wake again soon, hungry."

"We need to talk."

"Yes." Stef gently disengaged and strode over to Ashley. "Theresa will not be able to host much longer. I want to take Alex back to the city with me tonight."

"To hunt?"

"Yes. She needs to be supervised while she learns to feed."

"How long?"

Stef raised a brow. "You expect her to come back?"

"Of course." Ashley had felt Alex wake and knew Alex was listening. "She's my wolf, my _centuri_. This is where she belongs."

"She's a Vampire of my house."

Ashley growled. "Do you challenge me, Vampire?"

Stef met Ashley's stare impassively. "She must feed to live. She'll be nocturnal and photosensitive. She might not be able to shift."

"Then let me die," Alex pleaded.

Ashley swung in her direction, letting her wolf rise. "Your wolf lives. I can feel her."

"Alpha," Alex said brokenly, "if I can't serve you and the Pa—"

Ashley vaulted across the room and gripped Alex's chin, forcing Alex's eyes to hers. "Feel my call. Your wolf _lives_."

Alex shuddered and for a few seconds, her teal eyes turned amber gold. Then she flinched and grabbed her abdomen, unable to stifle a cry. "I hurt. Alpha, I'm so cold."

"I know." Ashley knelt and pulled Alex's head to her chest. She kissed her and stroked her cheek. "I know. That's why I want you to go with Stef." When Alex murmured a protest, Ashley shook her lightly. "Until you've learned to control your hunger and how to satisfy it."

Alex raised tormented eyes to Ashley's, tears streaking her cheeks. "I'd rather die than leave the Pack."

Ashley framed her face and kissed her forehead. "Do you feel me in your heart?"

"Yes, Alpha."

"I hold you in mine. I will not let you go. You will return to us."

"Yes, Alpha." Alex buried her face in Ashley's neck.

Ashley cradled her, caressing her trembling shoulders, and looked over at Stef. "If any harm comes to her—"

"None will," Stef said with absolute certainty. "You'd do better to worry about yourself."

"Alex needs to feed," Ashley said, feeling Alex's questing mouth hot against her throat. Gently, she eased Alex back onto the bed. Alex's eyes blazed wildly and her incisors unsheathed. Snarling, she rolled over onto Theresa, who immediately reached for her.

"You need me, baby?" Theresa murmured, guiding Alex to her neck. She moaned, her head falling back, as Alex sank into her. Her hips rolled as the rich scent of copper filled the air.

Ashley moved away from the bed and joined Stef on the far side of the room. "Will they be safe if we go out into the hall?"

Stef shivered almost imperceptibly and dragged her gaze away from Alex's avid feeding. "For a few minutes. Then I'll have to stop her."

They stepped outside and Ashley took in Stef's haunted look. She'd seen Madison with the same expression too many times not to recognize it. "How much longer can you contain your bloodlust?"

"I'm all right," Stef said. "I'll feed when I get Alex back to the city."

"Such honor is unusual for a Vampire," Ashley said dryly. "But then, we find ourselves in an unusual situation."

Stef laughed. "Your second thinks I tried to have you assassinated."

"Did you?"

"If I wanted you dead, Wolf," Stef said, "I'd do it myself."

"That's what I thought."

"Any other ideas?"

"If this had happened a few weeks ago, I would have said HUFSI was behind it."

"They have been campaigning to have all Praeterns neutered," Stef agreed, "and have come out strongly against the new Praetern rights bill."

"There are plenty of militant splinter factions who aren't going to be swayed by any ballot," Ashley said. "They've made regular death threats."

"It's certainly possible," Stef said. "Historically, killing the figurehead doesn't stop a movement from effecting change, but fanatics rarely learn from history. You have your doubts now?"

From inside the room, Theresa cried out. Ashley felt Alex's wolf straining for freedom and scented Alex's wild pheromones mixed with a cooler, sharper element. "She's a _centuri_. Her wolf is strong. Eventually she's going to shift," Ashley warned. "Will you be able to handle her?"

Stef smiled mockingly. "Vampires know how to handle Weres when we feed. Who else wants you dead?"

"Someone wants to create panic among the humans and discredit the Weres," Ashley said. "Maybe they think they'll have a better chance of doing that if they also eliminate the leadership."

"It may not just be a movement against Weres," Stef said. "There may be a much larger assault coming on all of us."

"Then it's a good thing we're on the same side."

"It's fortunate we have an alliance," Stef said smoothly. "What do you plan to do?"

"My Pack has been challenged. That cannot stand." Ashley smiled, her canines fully exposed. "I intend to go hunting."

"I didn't report the shooting." Stef shrugged. "I am a detective, but this is Praetern business. Let me know if you need assistance."

"Just take care of Alex." Ashley nodded. "I'll expect to hear from you soon about your search on the human victims, Vampire."

"And I'll await your report from your scientists."

"Take care of my _centuri_."

"Don't insult me, Wolf," Stef said.

"Good night, Vampire." Ashley strode rapidly toward the adjacent wing, eager to find her mate. She'd been away from her for too long. Her wolf was restless and edgy. She didn't want her mate out of her sight. She needed to touch her. She needed to taste her again. She needed to assert her claim.

Ashley knew before she reached the other side of the building that Spencer was no longer in their room. When she encountered Dyson talking to Bo in the center of the infirmary building, her eyes were completely gold and her face honed to a knife's edge.

"You left the Prima unprotected?" Ashley growled.

Dyson flinched. "She's in the building, Alpha."

"That's not what I asked you." Ashley stalked him and he backed up.

"I'm sorry, Alpha. I should have gone with her." Dyson turned his head away as Ashley crowded him up against the wall.

She slid her claws into his abdomen, just deep enough to make him shudder. With her mouth against his ear, she warned, "Don't ever do that again."

"Alpha," Bo said softly, carefully not touching Ashley. "She's all right. We won't let anything happen to her."

Ashley swung her head around, her canines gleaming. "She doesn't understand Pack ways yet. She doesn't understand the dangers from outside."

"She doesn't need to," Bo said. "She's the Prima. It's in her blood."

Dyson ran his mouth along the underside of Ashley's jaw. "We're hers as we are yours."

"Thank you." Ashley leaned her forehead against Dyson and stroked the back of his neck, withdrawing her claws. He sighed and closed his eyes. Bo sidled up against Ashley and wrapped her arm around Ashley's waist.

"How is Alex?" Bo asked.

"She's alive." Ashley draped her arm over Bo's shoulder so Bo could rest against her chest. "We'll need a temporary replacement for her in the guard. You two discuss it with Aiden and let me know your candidates."

"I sent Aiden back with Kenzi and Vex to track the shooter's scent," Bo said, referring to the twin dominants—sister and brother—who were already lieutenants and prime candidates to be elevated to _centuri_.

"Good." Ashley's brown eyes sparked gold. "We'll leave as soon as I've seen to my mate."

"Yes, Alpha," Bo and Dyson said together.

Ashley followed Spencer's scent through the building, her impatient hunger escalating until all she wanted was Spencer under her, inside her, over her. When she pushed open the door to the lab, the only thing she saw was Lauren with her hand on Spencer's bare shoulder. With a roar, she leapt for them.


	35. Chapter 35

**Rated M**

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

Spencer swept Lauren behind her with one arm, blocking her from Ashley, whose wolf rode so close to the surface that her eyes and face had partially shifted. The shimmering sheen of arousal on Ashley's bare torso misted Spencer's skin and her sex swelled, readying for her mate.

"Back away from her," Ashley snarled in Lauren's direction, her whole body shuddering with the effort not to tear Lauren apart.

"Ashley," Spencer murmured, pressing her mouth to the bite on Ashley's chest. She had felt Ashley calling out to her long before she'd reached the room, had felt her power—hungry and demanding. Her own need had grown in the short time they'd been separated until she could barely remain in the lab. She'd wanted to stalk through the Compound until she found Ashley and reminded the Alpha and anyone near her exactly who Ashley belonged to. She scraped her teeth over the bite and Ashley shuddered. "I've missed you."

Growling ominously, Ashley grasped Spencer behind the head and yanked her forward, covering her mouth in a ferocious kiss. Ashley's nipples were hot and hard as diamonds as they chafed Spencer's chest through her thin shirt. Spencer pressed her hips into Ashley's and raked her blunt claws down the center of Ashley's abdomen. She drew Ashley in, welcomed her questing tongue, her demanding mouth. The more she gave—the more she took—the calmer Ashley became, until finally Ashley released her mouth. Ashley dragged her canines down Spencer's neck and kissed the bite on Spencer's shoulder. Heat washed through Spencer and her stomach clenched.

"You have nothing to growl over," Spencer murmured. "I hunger only for you."

"She was touching you," Ashley said fiercely, her arm around Spencer's waist, her pelvis tight against Spencer's.

"I needed her to draw blood for some tests," Spencer said, stroking Ashley's face.

Lauren, who had quietly withdrawn to the far side of the room, said, "It's my fault, Alpha. I know better than to be alone with her now."

"What tests?" Ashley whipped her head around, fixing Lauren with a flat, hard stare.

"We want to repeat the mitochondrial DNA analysis," Lauren said.

"Why?" Ashley's body coiled tightly, driven by a primal force stronger than any other to protect her mate. She would allow nothing to harm her.

Spencer smoothed her hands up and down Ashley's back and kissed her neck. "I need to be sure the changes in my cells are stable. That I'm not carrying any kind of mutagen that could be a danger to you or—"

"You're _fine_," Ashley snarled. "You're my mate. Do you think I couldn't tell if there's something wrong?"

"I'm not a born Were," Spencer said gently, knowing this barrier could prevent the rest of the Pack from accepting her as Ashley's mate, even if Ashley refused to acknowledge the problem. "We don't know if you'll be able to sense everything about me as you would if I were _regii_."

"_I_ know." Ashley nipped Spencer's chin hard enough to make Spencer grumble. "You're my mate and I say you're fine."

"If you don't mind, Alpha," Spencer said, digging her claws into Ashley's ass through the denim of her jeans, "I'd like to verify that with some tests. We need the information."

Ashley's eyes narrowed and flared molten gold, but she rubbed her forehead over Spencer's and murmured, "As you wish, Prima."

Spencer slanted her mouth over Ashley's and teased her with a quick flick of her tongue inside her lower lip. "It won't take long."

"Good." Ashley stepped behind Spencer and wrapped her arms around Spencer's middle, resting her chin on the top of Spencer's shoulder. Running her hands up and down Spencer's belly under her shirt, she glanced over at Lauren, who was studiously not looking at them but was labeling a row of multicolored blood vials. "Go ahead, Lauren. Be quick."

"We should have the results of these and yesterday's biopsies in a few hours," Lauren said as she wrapped a tourniquet around Spencer's upper arm.

"What biopsies?" Ashley demanded.

Lauren remained silent.

Spencer turned her head and gently bit Ashley's jaw. "I'll explain in a few minutes. Let Lauren work."

Ashley rumbled and nuzzled Spencer's neck. "All right."

Smiling, Lauren filled the tubes and removed the tourniquet from Spencer's arm. She gathered the vials and stepped well out of Spencer and Ashley's sphere. "I'll drive these over to the lab myself."

"Call me as soon as you get the results?" Spencer asked.

"Of course."

"Lock the door behind you," Ashley said, sliding her hand down to the button on Spencer's jeans. She traced her mouth over Spencer's ear and nudged Spencer toward the counter with the thrust of her hips against Spencer's ass. "You smell hungry."

"So do you." Spencer grabbed the counter with both hands as Ashley cleaved to her back. When Ashley reached down into her jeans and squeezed, the sweet pressure ramped her toward release. "Maybe you should take care of that."

"I'm going to." Ashley lightly bit Spencer's earlobe.

Spencer pushed off her pants and kicked them away, then spread her legs. "In me now."

Ashley milked Spencer's clitoris between her fingers, making it jump and swell. Spencer groaned and Ashley rumbled with satisfaction. "You're so hard and wet for me."

"All the time." Spencer covered Ashley's hand and directed her fingers where she needed them. "I wanted you when I woke up."

"I know. You keep me ready to burst." Ashley shredded Spencer's T-shirt and sucked the mating mark on her shoulder, letting Spencer guide her caresses over her swollen sex. "Good?"

"I'm going to come," Spencer said breathlessly, guiding Ashley's fingers lower. "Please, I need to feel you."

Ashley eased back a fraction and quickly shed her pants. Naked, she rubbed her clitoris in the cleft of Spencer's ass and buried her fingers in Spencer's core. Spencer rolled her hips and Ashley groaned. "I want to come all over you."

"Oh yes." Spencer reached behind her and dug her claws into Ashley's ass, tensing her muscles around Ashley. "Your clit's so hot. Does that feel good, love? Is that what you need?"

Ashley's hips bucked and she bared her canines, black spreading over her belly. "Mine. Say it."

"Yours."

"Say it again," Ashley panted, one hand around Spencer's throat, the other inside her.

"I love being yours." Spencer turned her head and bit Ashley's lip. Ashley thrust inside her and Spencer clamped down hard on her. "I'm coming for you. Can you feel me coming?"

Ashley pushed deeper between Spencer's legs and Spencer jackknifed forward over the bench, flooding Ashley's hand. Ashley's clitoris stiffened on the cusp of release.

"More," Ashley groaned and bit Spencer's shoulder.

Spencer's ass clenched as she emptied violently and Ashley spent with a roar. Spencer's claws gouged deep trenches across the bench as her mate rode her back in a frenzy of teeth and claws, and still she felt Ashley's call. Ashley needed more. Ashley needed completion. Ashley needed _her_. A rush of furious possession arced through her and Spencer swept her arm over the counter, shoving file folders and trays of instruments aside. Spinning around, she lifted onto the counter and gripped Ashley's hips. Dragging Ashley between her thighs, she scissored her legs around Ashley's waist. Ashley's clitoris slotted under hers, sliding between her folds and teasing her entrance. The pressure was so intense, the pleasure so exquisite, she immediately readied again.

"Fuck me," Spencer demanded and sank her canines into Ashley's chest.

Ashley's wolf erupted in a fury. Hips thrusting hard and fast, Ashley gripped the back of Spencer's neck, her claws just breaking skin. Spencer drove her mating bite deeper into the muscle above Ashley's breast, forcing Ashley into the ultimate release.

"_Say it_," Spencer cried.

"Yours," Ashley roared, pouring her essence into the very heart of Spencer's being.

Spencer clasped her mate tightly until Ashley's last tremor subsided, then soothed the bite she'd made with her tongue. "I love the way you come for me."

"You didn't come." Ashley rested her head on Spencer's shoulder, her breath coming in shallow pants. "I'm sorry. I needed you so much."

Laughing, Spencer played her fingers through Ashley's hair. "Oh, I think I can forgive you for losing control, Alpha."

Ashley kissed Spencer's neck. "Only you could do that to me."

Spencer's heart seized. She had allowed the mate bond, even though she knew she was being selfish. "I love you so much."

"Then why are you unhappy?" Ashley leaned back and studied Spencer's face, a frown marring the smooth skin between her golden-brown brows. When Spencer looked away, Ashley gently clasped her chin and forced Spencer to meet her gaze. "Tell me."

Spencer smoothed her palms back and forth over Ashley's broad, strong chest, then settled her arms loosely around Ashley's waist. "Even if I'm completely healthy, I'm not the right mate for you."

Ashley snarled, her canines lengthening.

"No," Spencer said gently, rubbing her thumb over Ashley's lower lip. "I'm not Pack born. The other Alphas, even some of your own Pack, will not accept a Prima who is not _regii_."

"The Timberwolf Pack will accept what I tell them to accept," Ashley said darkly.

"Maybe. And maybe some will try to challenge you."

"Let them."

"Now is not the time for unrest in the Pack. Not now, when so much depends on your negotiations in Washington." Spencer's hand shook where it rested on Ashley's face. "Not now, when someone is trying to kill you. You need all your allies behind you. You don't need anything—anyone—to make you vulnerable."

Ashley's eyes narrowed. "Who told you this?"

"It doesn't matter. It's true, isn't it?"

"Bo," Ashley grumbled. "She needs to learn—"

"She loves you." Spencer kissed Ashley softly. "And you love her. Stop snarling."

Ashley gripped Spencer's shoulders and leaned close until all Spencer could see were Ashley's eyes. "Listen to me, Prima. I am the Alpha of this Pack and I choose who I mate. My wolf chooses you. I choose you."

"Ashley," Spencer whispered. "I can't give you young."

"You know how we breed? Hale told you?"

"No. Lauren's parents explained some of it to me yesterday." Spencer shivered, thinking that she had been discussing science while someone had been lying in wait to assassinate Ashley. "I know a dominant female can breed another receptive female. That the kinins released by the mating bite when you come contain carrier proteins that deliver the mitochondrial DNA-signature to the egg and activate it."

Ashley smiled, a supremely satisfied smile. "Yes. Exactly what we just did. Didn't you feel me empty into you?"

Spencer's hips jerked and her breasts tightened. "Of course I felt you." She ran her tongue down the center of Ashley's throat and bit the thick muscle above her collarbone. "I can feel you inside me now. Everywhere." She laughed unsteadily. "I can hardly believe it, but I'm ready for you again."

"I'm full for you again too." Ashley cupped Spencer's jaw. "This is more than mating frenzy. Your transformation has accelerated everything. This is breeding frenzy." "But _mutia_ can't—"

"Stop." With infinite tenderness, Ashley kissed Spencer's forehead, her eyes, her mouth. "You are my mate. My instincts tell me we are breeding now. If we have no young of our own—this time, or ever, I will name a successor from among the strongest of the Pack when the time comes."

Spencer caressed Ashley's face with trembling fingers. "I can't keep you from fulfilling your destiny. You were born to be Alpha, and you should be able to see your daughter—"

"So you'll give me up to another?" Ashley asked. "Have me breed with another fem—"

Spencer's wolf burst out so quickly she didn't have time to reason or react. Her face shifted, her jaws elongated, and a thick line of silver pelt streamed down the center of her belly. Her claws raked Ashley's shoulders. In a voice guttural with possessive rage, she rasped, "Mine!"

"Yours." Ashley tilted her head back and gave Spencer her neck. Spencer gripped Ashley's throat in her jaws and shook her hard. With a cry, Ashley came on Spencer's stomach.

When Ashley sagged, Spencer caught Ashley to her and kissed her. Cradling Ashley's head against her shoulder, she whispered, "Did I hurt you?"

"You will never hurt me as long as you never leave me." Ashley gasped as another spasm shook her. "Say you won't leave me."

"I won't. I can't." Spencer leaned her head against Ashley's. "I'll die before I leave you."

"You'll be in danger because you are my mate. The attack last night—that might be just the beginning."

"I'm not afraid." Spencer's only fear was losing Ashley, and she would do anything and everything in her power to protect her.

"I didn't think I needed a mate. I thought a mate would make me weak. I was wrong." Ashley straightened, her chocolate eyes ringed with wolf-gold. Her face was calm, strong, certain. "I love you. I need you, and not just because a Pack is always stronger with an Alpha pair to lead them." She brushed the backs of her fingers over Spencer's cheek. "I never knew how lonely I was until I wasn't lonely anymore. You already run with me in my dreams. Soon, we'll run together on our land, with our Pack. Say you love me. Say you will run by my side."

"I love you, Ashley," Spencer said, joy eclipsing all regrets. She would live, no matter what demons inside her or enemies outside threatened her. She would fight, because she would not leave Ashley alone. Ashley was hers, forever, to love and cherish and protect. "You're my heart, my mate. I will always be by your side."

Ashley pulled her close and buried her face in Spencer's neck. When Spencer realized Ashley was shaking, she stroked her hair. "What is it?"

"I need to leave for a few hours." Ashley drew deeply of Spencer's scent. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You just asked me to run by your side," Spencer said, her mouth against Ashley's neck. She couldn't ask her not to go. Ashley was the Alpha. She had to lead. But she didn't have to lead alone any longer. "Do you think I will let you hunt alone?"

"It's too soon," Ashley said. "Your wolf—"

"The fight was brought to us—yours by the Exodus, mine by a bite from a dying girl. We didn't choose the time or circumstances. If you hunt, so do I. I'm your mate. Don't ask me to be less. Not now, not when I've given you my heart."

Ashley's eyes glowed with pride and possession. She kissed Spencer hard, drawing power from Spencer's strength. "I love you."

"Then let me love you."

With a nod, Ashley grasped Spencer's hand.

_Bo_, the Alpha called, _it's time to hunt._


	36. Chapter 36

Okay folks that's all she wrote...literally. This is the end of the book, it's been short-lived but also crazy long lol. I will possibly be posting the other books in the series if people are interested, so let me know if you guys want me to do that or not :) It's been fun and I really appreciate everyone who has followed, liked, reviewed, or subscribed to this story or me as an author. ENJOY!

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing about this story...the writing is all L.L. Raand's and the Characters are all from various television shows (South of Nowhere, The O.C., Orange is the New Black, Lost Girl, The Fosters, and The L Word) Credit goes completely to all listed above

* * *

"Aiden and the twins have been tracking the scent since last night," Bo said as Dyson drove the Rover from the Compound.

Spencer sat on the side bench, her back against the wall with Ashley lounging on the floor between her legs. Ashley tilted her head back against Spencer's stomach, and Spencer ran her fingers through Ashley's hair, unable to stop touching her even for a minute. Like Ashley and the others, she wore only a pair of jeans, and when Ashley reached back and idly ran her blunt nails over Spencer's bare flank, she growled softly. She knew a fight was coming and she was primed, her adrenaline pumping, a flair of sterling silver pelt streaming low on her belly, her clitoris erect and throbbing. Her wolf clawed the undersurface of her skin, demanding the freedom to hunt or tangle—the two urges nearly indistinguishable in her newly transformed system.

"Have they sighted the prey?" Ashley asked.

"They lost the scent at one of the warehouses on the river last night, but they spent all day checking similar buildings and tracking scent trails. They picked up our prey again just a few hours ago. Aiden reports the one we want is with half a dozen rogues."

Ashley snarled. "The rogues have never been aggressive before."

"They're loading containers into trucks," Bo said. "Aiden thinks it's DSX."

"The methamphetamine variant?" Spencer asked.

"Yes," Ashley said. "Highly addictive and highly toxic to us."

"If the rogues are running drugs," Spencer suggested, "they must be part of a larger trafficking ring. They need suppliers, distributors, probably police protection. With that kind of backup, they might feel untouchable. That could explain why they'd risk an all-out assault."

"Most rogues are usually too undisciplined to carry out any kind of illicit operation," Ashley said. "Whoever is in charge is not some half-feral DSX addict."

"The assassin?" Spencer asked.

"Probably."

Spencer massaged the muscles in the back of Ashley's neck. If they found the shooter, Ashley would need to destroy him, but Spencer worried Ashley wasn't yet strong enough for a fight. Her gunshot wounds had nearly killed her. Knowing only one way to protect her mate, Spencer reached deep inside herself and touched her wolf. Instantly, her skin burned and pain shuddered through her bones. She remembered her dream and the agony of shifting. She feared she wouldn't be able to shift in time to keep her mate safe, but she had to try. The pain intensified and she groaned.

_Stop_, Ashley telegraphed. _You're all I need._

_I want to go with you. I want to be by your side_.

Ashley stroked Spencer's leg and turned her head to kiss Spencer's stomach. Not unless you shift. You won't be safe, otherwise.

_What if I can't? _

_Don't worry._ Ashley tugged on the skin of Spencer's belly with her teeth, then licked the small mark of ownership. _Your wolf will know when it's time_.

Spencer caressed Ashley's cheek and caught Bo's gaze as she sat opposite them watching. Bo couldn't hear what had transpired between them, but Spencer could reach Bo. _If I can't go with her, I'm entrusting her to you. _

Bo jolted upright, the surprise in her eyes quickly giving way to resolve. And respect. "Yes, Prima."

* * *

"Turn here," Ashley said as she felt Aiden's call.

Dyson drove down a narrow overgrown path between a narrow strip of trees and the river's edge just south of the city. Across the broad expanse of water, a train whistle blew. Overhead slashes of blue-black clouds skated across the face of a brilliant full moon.

"That's the building up ahead. Stop here and we'll go the rest of the way on foot."

When they climbed out of the Rover, Spencer stared up at the moon. Her skin tingled and heat balled in the pit of her stomach. Aiden stepped out of the darkness followed by two incredibly beautiful young brunettes—the male was slightly taller than his sister, both were nude except for pants, both as perfectly muscled as a Michelangelo statue. Immediately, the three newcomers crowded around Ashley and she stroked each of them in turn.

"What have you found?" Ashley asked.

"There are seven inside, Alpha," Aiden said. "Including the one we tracked from the park across from the Vampire's lair."

"And you're sure that one is the shooter?"

"Yes, Alpha," the brunette female answered briskly. "His scent is thick with silver. Blowback from the ammunition he used."

"Well done, _centuri_." Ashley gripped the shoulders of the two young lieutenants. "Kenzi. Vex. Welcome to my guard."

Brother and sister immediately dropped to one knee and touched their foreheads to Ashley's thighs. She caressed them briefly, then urged them up. "Aiden, take Kenzi and Vex and secure the rear. Dyson and Bo—with me." She spread her arms wide. "Come, my wolves. To the hunt."

Spencer tried to watch the _centuri_ shift, but all she could discern was a faint shimmering before their shadows blurred in a dark, hypnotic dance. Within seconds, it seemed, Ashley was surrounded by five fierce wolves. A huge gray—Aiden; a lean, muscular red-gray—Bo; a svelte red—Dyson; two white and grays—Kenzi and Vex. Only Ashley remained in skin form, and yet she seemed no less dangerous or less powerful than the animals who crowded against her.

"I'm coming with you," Spencer said.

"No. I can't risk losing you." Ashley dragged Spencer forward and kissed her ferociously. "Wait in the Rover. I love you."

"Ashley!" Spencer called as Ashley loped away, as graceful as her wolves. From deep inside, Spencer heard—felt—her other self call to her, claiming her place. _Ashley_ _must_ _not_ _go_ _alone_. Her argent wolf was the sky to Ashley's star. She knew her destiny and what she must do.

Spencer took a step, then another, then she was running. Running free. The hot summer air danced across her tongue, carrying teasing hints of prey scurrying in the underbrush, the acrid taste of drug-frenzied rogues, the sharp tang of the _centuri_. And the powerful, hot rush that was Ashley. Spencer covered the ground in huge, bounding strides and reached Ashley's side just as Ashley prepared to breach the warehouse doors.

_Welcome_, _mate_. Ashley reached down and buried her fist in Spencer's ruff. Together, they leapt at the door and crashed it inward, Bo and Dyson soaring past them to land in the midst of a startled ragtag group of rogues. Most were half naked, covered in haphazard remnants of tattered clothing. Several looked and smelled sick. Three males carried automatic rifles, and as they brought the weapons to their shoulders, Bo, Dyson, and Spencer launched themselves as one.

Spencer didn't think. Her only imperative was to protect her mate. The guard went down with her teeth in his neck, and she shook her head and shoulders with instinctive ferocity. He went limp and she dropped him, racing back to Ashley's side. Bo and Dyson drifted toward the shadows on either side of Ashley. The other rogues had all run, leaving a single blond male standing in a shaft of moonlight that filtered through a broken skylight high above them. Unlike the other renegades, he looked fit and healthy. His dark shirt and pants hugged his muscular frame as if tailor-made. His sharp blue eyes were clear and filled with hatred.

"Your mutts called you Rainer." She laughed. "You could live a thousand lifetimes and never deserve that name. But you won't have the chance."

"Just like your mother," Rainer sneered. "You let your _centuri_ fight for you. Now I'll kill you just like I killed her."

"You already failed." She spread her arms, displaying her unblemished torso. "Only a coward uses bullets instead of teeth and claws."

"Your Pack should be mine," Rainer raged.

"Is that what the Blackpaw Alpha promised you when you led the raid against my mother? When you ambushed her?"

"Her guards were lucky and managed to defeat my lieutenants, or I would already be Alpha. Trick promised me half of your territory."

"Trick ordered your execution as part of the new treaty after the failed campaign against us."

"Trick is a weakling." Rainer laughed. "As you can see, he failed to put me down."

"I won't." Ashley growled. "You destroy your own species with drugs. You're not fit to lead anyone."

Rainer trembled with anger. "When I put you down like the bitch you are, I will claim the Timberwolf Pack and all its territory."

"I accept your challenge," Ashley said softly. "Here and now."

Rainer's eyes flickered around the room. "You ambushed my guards. I have no witnesses."

Aiden appeared behind Rainer, dragging two stunned Were guards with him. He tossed the male and female onto the littered floor. "Here are your witnesses."

"Shift," Ashley ordered, "and bring your challenge."

With a vicious snarl, Rainer's face contorted and then his body transformed. Not as fast as the centuri had shifted, but within a minute, a huge white wolf with mad dark eyes stood slavering a few yards from Ashley.

Spencer caught her breath, wondering why Ashley, her face completely calm and composed, remained in skin while allowing her enemy to assume his stronger wolf form. Then with no warning, Rainer launched himself at Ashley's throat, jaws snapping. But Ashley was no longer the standing target he had anticipated. Instead, a black wolf collided with him in midair, grabbing his neck in her jaws as she undercut the arc of his leap. His claws raked her chest and underbelly and blood drenched her midnight pelt. Spencer growled, quivering, barely able to restrain her instinct to propel herself into the fray. But Ashley was her Alpha and her mate, and she trusted her, believed in her. Spencer held her ground, growling threateningly when one of the rogues would have crawled away.

Rainer was heavier than Ashley by forty pounds, but despite the blood streaming from her wounds, Ashley's jaws locked tight, her wolf-gold eyes molten with fury. The wolves crashed to the floor, their bodies a roiling mass of muscle and blood. The air vibrated with their growls of rage. Rainer tore at Ashley's soft flank, trying to dislodge her. Spencer felt the searing pain as his teeth sliced Ashley's side. Infuriated by his attack on her mate, Spencer reached out to Ashley with her heart and mind, sending all her love and strength. _Now, love. Take him now_.

With a tremendous burst of force, Ashley wrenched her head viciously back and forth, tearing Rainer's neck open in a froth of crimson. He dropped onto his back, convulsing in her grip. Straddling his twitching body, Ashley raised her blood-spattered head and howled in victory. She glimmered with power and pride in the moonlight.

Spencer trembled with a surge of joy at her mate's triumph and joined her voice to Ashley's. While the _centuri_ echoed their cries, the rogue Weres cowered on the floor, their heads down, puddles beneath their legs. Ashley swung her great head around, searching for Spencer. When their eyes met, her pelt receded and she staggered upright. Without any thought to shifting, Spencer simply rose up to meet her, her wolf quietly retreating. She took Ashley into her arms, Ashley's hot blood painting her breasts and abdomen. Bo crowded close to Ashley, her muzzle drawn back in a snarl as she guarded Ashley's injured flank. Ashley shuddered in Spencer's embrace.

"How badly are you hurt?" Spencer said, too softly for the others to hear. She stroked Ashley's back and would have cradled Ashley's head on her shoulder if the rogues had not been watching.

"I'm all right. Already healing." Ashley rubbed her cheek over Spencer's. "I felt you with me."

"Yes. Forever. I promise."

Ashley's brown eyes clouded with pain."He killed my mother."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"He must have gone to ground before the order of execution could be carried out. Now she has been avenged." Ashley sighed and draped her arm around Spencer's shoulders. "Rainer's masters will no doubt replace him by morning. Evil seems to be in endless supply."

"You've defeated a challenger." Spencer gestured to the two rogues on their knees a few feet away, still guarded by the _centuri_. "They've witnessed your kill and others will hear of it. You've sent the message that you will defend your Pack to the death."

"I am afraid there will always be another battle, mate," Ashley said.

"And when it comes, Alpha," Spencer murmured before kissing her, "we'll all be at your side."

"As long as you are with me, I can face any challenge."

"Always, my love. Always."


	37. A Note about the next book

Haha okay I hear you guys loud and clear. I will post the next book in the series but I probably won't start posting it until sunday. The next book is called Blood Hunt so look for that title. And thank you all for getting so excited about the books, you guys inspire me to make multiple updates and I really appreciate it.


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